The Alpha
by Wick Nilde
Summary: A young man with a "special" constitution ends up in a strange new place after a rather "unfortunate" encounter. After traveling for about a month, he discovers that the world he ended up in is not the one he remembers. Trying to get back home, he finds that certain denizens of this new world are not as keen as he is on him returning. After all, he is just too interesting...
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: So my dad recommended I get a hobby. I thought about it and decided to write stories to help spark my imagination. Recently, I read a prompt which sparked an idea of "what if a character with "Wolverine" like abilities appeared in the world of Zootopia?". I found this idea too good to pass up. Also, this is good practice for creative writing anyway. Here is my take on how things would go down.**

 **Cover art by Bosstwin**

 **Disclaimer: I see a lot of stories with this so I'm just gonna add it to be safe. I don't own anything related to the characters or concepts of Zootopia.**

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Chapter 1: "Humble" Beginnings

John burst through surface, gasping for much needed oxygen. Shivering from the extremely cold water, his relief at escaping his watery grave quickly turned into extreme anger. 'That fucker is going to pay for this!' He thought to himself. How was he supposed to know that jackass Garrett had a brother who works with the mafia? 'Whatever' he thought to himself, 'that dumbass got what he deserved'. The biting cold from the water he was currently swimming in snapped him back to reality, and he began to look around the moonlight surroundings before confusion crossed his features. 'Why is this water so damn cold'. He began to recall the events leading up to his current predicament.

The thugs that knocked him out as he was leaving 7-Eleven bound his hands and legs with zip-ties before tossing him into the backseat of a truck and driving off. The thugs, not realizing he had already woken up, ignored John as he pretended to still be unconscious while he listened in on their conversation:

"So Mikey, why are we doing this again? This punk kid don't look older than 23 man!"

"Shut up, this shit-stain beat up my little brother" Mikey spat back.

The other thug replied "So what, I've met your little brother and if you ask me he had it coming man. The little dudes a prick"

Mikey turned to him with a hateful glare and slowly stated "You think he deserved to have both his arms broken and be put into a coma?"

The other thug clicked his tongue and sighed "Ok man, I get it…"

"Besides", Mikey interrupted, "He messed with my family, and he is gonna pay for it"

John lay silent in the back trying to wrap his head around what he was hearing. Yea, he did beat the shit outa Garrett, but that was only because the dude was talking shit about his parents as if the dude understood anything about his family. He began to genuinely feel fear for the first time when he imagined these guys going after his family next. He needed to get back to them, but first things first, he had to escape.

Being as silent as possible while tied up, he scrunched his body together in order to get his hands near the zip-ties at his feet. When his hands were nearly touching his feet, he winced as he began to painfully unsheathe the middle of the three sharp 'claws' in his right hand and began working on the bindings. John smiled internally as he thought to himself 'good thing these bastards don't know about my little trump card'. After about fifteen minutes of quietly cutting, the zip-tie strap was severed and his legs were free, but he didn't dare move too much to avoid drawing the attention of the two thugs quietly chatting in the front. He knew to wait for the perfect moment to try to escape.

Minutes ticked by as the truck rumbled along. John sat in the back quietly listening to his captor's pointless chatter. It wasn't long before John smelled salt in the air which would have been a nice realization if wasn't for his current circumstances. He loved the ocean, but the fact that they were driving him towards it gave him a VERY bad feeling. A very morbid thought crossed his mind involving him tied to a cinderblock floating at the bottom of the ocean, the thought causing him to silently panic. 'Oh please lord let this be one of those "beat him senseless and leave him in an alley" scenarios', which he became quite used to over the years.

He learned to enjoy those "precious memories" due to his "blessed" (more like cursed John began to believe) ability to heal from all(?) injuries. John wasn't quite sure himself, mostly due to the fact that while he could heal, he still felt pain which would explain why he didn't go experimenting there. The truck came to a sudden stop, which almost caused John to roll onto the floor. He tensed up hoping his earlier prayer had been heard.

"Well, lets get this over with" said Mikey as he opened the door of the truck and stepped out. "I'm gonna go lock the gate and get the boat started, you carry the bastard" John heard Mikey say to thug number two.

Thug number two with an almost sad sigh stated simply "Alright, just let me get ready"

John felt his heart hammering in his chest, that VERY bad feeling resurfacing with a vengeance as he held on to the faint hope that they were just gonna beat him to a pulp and leave him in some alley like what normally happens. Instead, he heard a sound which made all his hopes disappear and confirmed his terrible premonition, the audible *click* of a gun being loaded. "Ah", he thought silently to himself "Guess I haven't got a choice…fuck"

Big Henry, or as John thought of him, thug number two, pulled out his 9mm Beretta 92FS out of the glove compartment of his truck. It was a gift from Mikey for his fortieth birthday and he took good care of it since it had saved his ass many times. He pulled out two small pistol magazines already loaded with bullets and pocketed one while sliding the other into the pistol producing a satisfying *click*. He slid the pistol into his back pocket and pulled out a carton of cigarettes and a lighter before lighting himself a smoke. As he breathed it in, the nicotine filling his system, be sighed sadly as he began to think hard.

He had been best friends with Mikey since they were in middle school, due to their propensity for trouble, and he knew Mikey was smart. As kids, Henry always thought Mikey would make something more of himself using those smarts, and he did, just not in the way Henry expected. Mikey somehow got himself involved with the mafia making more money than either of them ever imagined as kids. Being his friend brought Henry many benefits, but at a cost that Henry wasn't sure he was able to stomach anymore.

Henry had killed people, more than a few for not paying Mikey back from their "loans". He was Mikey's "enforcer" and his enormous stature helped him fit the image hence the nickname Big Henry. But what he was doing now just didn't sit right with him, regardless of his past ruthlessness. The punk in the back seat beat up his best friend's little brother, who he honestly believed deserved it, but the punk hurt him too bad. The kid didn't look older than twenty-two twenty-three ish and Henry had reservations about killing anyone less than half his age. 'Well, too late to stop now' he thought to himself.

Henry made a *tsk* sound as he dipped his cigarette into the ash tray and opened the car door to step outside. "This is the last time I help him with shit like this" he told himself as he walked to the side door of the truck to get the "unconscious" punk. As he opened the door, he saw the bottom of two shoes flying towards him. He only had time to think a quick 'WHAT…' before his face and chest were slammed into by a force that Henry couldn't even believe a kid of his size was capable of producing. Henry flew about three feet backwards and skidded along the gravel ground before coming to a stop.

Henry had always been a good fighter and he knew how to take a hit, but that little shit's kick hurt like hell and knocked the wind out of him. Recovering from the initial shock, he reached for his nose which he found broken. Cursing loudly, he quickly stood up holding his nose with his left hand and reaching for his gun with his right. As he looked back at the truck, he scanned the kid that knocked him senseless who was now standing on the gravel road facing him. "You fucker!", he stuttered still holding his nose "I'm gonna enjoy kil…" his voice caught in his throat as he saw something that his brain couldn't quite process.

The punk's hands, still zip-tied together, each had three long white claws extending straight out of them about seven inches from between his knuckles. As he tried to process what he was seeing he looked up to see the boy was smiling at him in an almost playful way. The combined playful smile along with the sharp, evil looking claws sent a shiver down Henry's spine that chilled him to his core. Unnerved, he pulled out his gun as the kid charged him. He only managed to get one shot off into the kid's shoulder before the kid closed the distance.

Henry tried to dodge by jumping backwards, but the distance was too short and so in a last ditch attempt he pulled in both of his arms to cover his chest. The effort was in vain however as the kid slammed into him, sending both sets of his claws through Henry's arms and straight into his chest. Henry crashed to the ground as the kid's momentum drove him backward, the pain overriding any rational thought. As the kid kneeled over Henry staring into his eyes, his face now masked with indifference, the last thing coherent thought that went through Henry's head before he closed his eyes for the last time was 'Man that kid's got beautiful eyes'.

John kneeled over Henry's body, a storm of emotions surging inside of him as he slowly retracted his claws back into his forearms. "It's just like last time" he muttered to himself, last time referring to the only other time he had ever killed someone. Just like that one night, he felt the same emotions of disgust, self-doubt and regret. But there was a more powerful emotion stirring inside him, satisfaction. This man had dared to try to harm him, to threaten him, and in the end they fought and he had claimed victory. At least, that what he felt anyway, it wasn't much of a fight.

By this point John had gotten up and was standing beside thug number two's body trying to calm the storm inside himself. He almost cried out in pain as the adrenaline wore off and he felt the bullet lodged in his left shoulder. 'Why does it always got to hurt so fricking bad' he exclaimed internally as he waited for his body to expel the bullet. Sure enough, he felt the familiar itching sensation as the wound in his shoulder began to close and just before it did, the bullet harmlessly fell out of the bullet hole in the blue hoodie he was wearing. 'Why can't it dull the pain as well dammit'

Looking up, he took a quick view of his surroundings. The truck had parked in a gravel parking lot surrounded on three sides by a gated fence which went right up to the shore line. It was dark, but he could just make out the outline of a couple of boats tied up to the two piers that extended into the ocean. The only light, besides the tiny bit of afterglow from the sun, was the lamppost hanging over the small gravel parking lot. The sea breeze blew across John's features as he began to contemplate his next moves: 'Ok, clearly this guy now knows who I am. I can't just run away because he knows how to find me, and by extension, my parents which I can't allow. Also, I just killed his buddy which means there is no way he is gonna let me get away with this…' He strengthened his resolve as the reality of what he needed to do dawned on him.

'Gotta kill him, no choice, but first, I need a knife or something to cut this stupid zip…' The crunch of a boots on the gravel behind him snapped his attention back to reality and John instinctively ducked. The whooshing sound of something passing where his head was just at reminded him that he still wasn't alone. John jumped forward to create some distance and spun around to face his attacker. Mikey cursed as he missed his first swing with his crowbar and quickly advanced towards John, readying his weapon for another swing. John smiled, 'This is gonna be too easy' and he crouched low preparing to jump straight at him in the same way he did with thug number two.

Unfortunately, luck was not on John's side. As Mikey got close and was about to start his downswing, John leapt, or at least attempted to leap, at him. The gravel below Johns feet did not grant him as much purchase as he assumed it would and his feet slipped. Instead of being propelled forward, he found himself stumbling and he instinctively brought his hands down to brace for his fall. He realized his mistake too late as Mikey corrected the angle of his swing towards the now stumbling John. Time seemed to slow down for John as fell. He quickly glanced at the face of Mikey who was giving him the most hateful look he had ever seen. 'Guess he knows I killed his friend, bummer'. As he watched the crowbar descend towards his face, John felt resigned to this stupid predicament before the crowbar connected and John felt a sharp flash of pain before everything went dark.

Recovering quickly, like he always did, John woke to the sound of waves lapping against a boat. The ocean breeze and the smell of salt only confirmed his suspicions. He tried to move his legs, but found they were tied together again and when he lifted his head to look at the cause, he froze.

He was tied to a cinderblock, a cinderblock that was sitting on the edge of the boat just a push away from going over the side. He realized that he was also laying on the edge of the boat against a railing which is why he hadn't rolled off. Although John never experimented with his ability to heal, he didn't think that it extended to things like drowning, which is why it became one of his biggest fears. He still needed to eat, still needed to sleep, and naturally, still needed to BREATH. He looked around and the first thing he noticed was Mikey sitting across from him cradling the 9mm pistol that thug number two shot him with. His expression was one of such deep sadness and regret, that it almost made John pity him, then he spoke, already aware that John was awake.

"Henry was my best friend."

'Hmm, so that's what his name was' thought John.

"We always had each other's backs and we would help each other when either of us needed help. He didn't deserve this…" John didn't dare interrupt, but he knew that wherever this was going wasn't going to end well for him. "HE DIDN'T DESERVE TO DIE TO SOME FUCKING KID" Mikey screamed in rage. If hate had a physical force, John felt that he would have been obliterated. Mikey seemed to calm down, but John knew that it was only skin deep. He then continued speaking: "Kid, you know I was only going to kill you and then leave it at that, but you went and did… this!" He spat at John and pointed at the body of Henry which was further up the boat which John only just noticed.

John finally decided to speak "What, was I supposed to just accept the fact that you two were tryin to kill me? All I did was beat up your brother for talking shit about things he doesn't understand. Not like I did any permanent damage." Mikey glared hatefully at him and said

"You messed with my family, and I don't let anyone mess with my family. Now you've gone and done something that I can't forgive. I considered Henry to be family, and I intend to get even." Mikey then smiled evilly and John had a horrible premonition. "I looked you up kid. Apparently your parents are struggling right now financially. Gosh!" He exclaimed mockingly "I can see it now! Kid goes missing, parents of kid do everything they can to find him, unsuccessfully of course. Good Samaritan I am, I offer my assistance in the form of a loan and connections. They agree out of desperation and hire me to help find you… you can see where I am going with this, kid" he said smugly.

John felt his whole body tense as he listened to this dudes speal and anger coursed through him. John spoke, "So long story short, you are going to ruin my innocent parent's lives." Mikey smiled

"It's the only way to get even don't you think?"

Never had John felt more hate towards another person. This guy was talking about ruining his parents lives as if it were nothing. 'I have to kill him. He needs to die' he thought darkly to himself. Mikey began speaking again.

"But that comes later, for now…" *BANG**BANG* Mikey fired two shots into John's chest knocking the wind out of him while causing incredible pain "Gotta deal with loose ends first" He said with that same evil smile. Still smiling, he got up to go push the kids body into the water. Thinking the kid would be too hurt to fight back, which is a perfectly logical assumption for anyone else who had been shot twice in the chest, he proceeded to grab him by the shoulders so he could sit him up and roll him over the railing.

When he sat him up he found something unexpected, the kid was grinning. In a split second motion, John unsheathed his claws and punched them straight into Mikey's chest.

Mikey let a surprised "Ugh!" and stared shocked into the eyes of the kid who he had presumably shot dead.

"Enjoy hell you bastard" John said as he used his unnatural strength to lift the 200 lb man still stuck in his claws over his head to try and flip him over himself and into the ocean. That was John's mistake he decided looking back, he should have just dropped him back into the boat and casually thrown him over the side. As John lifted the man over his head, the boat lurched due to a wave breaking over it and John lost his balance.

Both John and Mikey went over the side into the cold water. Unfortunately for John, his hands were still bound and his feet were still tied to the cinderblock, which had fallen in with him. John had time to come up for air one last time before the cinderblock began pulling him down into the deep. John began to panic. He felt himself sinking faster and faster and he knew that if he passed out he was done for. As quick as he could, he began to cut through the rope using his claws, his eyes stinging from the saltwater.

When he was about halfway through, he felt a very weird sensation as he was sinking, as if the world inverted itself for a moment and up and down were switched. What was more strange was the fact that the cinderblock that was pulling him down started pulling him the other direction, as if it was taking him back to the surface. Only, his body could tell that he needed to go further down, or what WAS down. John had been working on cutting the rope while this was happening, and when he was finally through, the cinderblock fell freely down while John was using all his strength to propel himself to where his body was telling him the surface was. Opening his eyes, he could see the faint moonlight reflecting off the surface as he swam desperately upward and he broke through, gasping for breath.

Back to where he started, John still couldn't tell why the water was blisteringly cold. When he fell in he remembered the water being chilly, but not cold enough to cause him to uncontrollably shiver. He spun around in the water checking his immediate surroundings and became even more confused.

"Where the hell is the boat!" he exclaimed to himself. 'It couldn't have drifted that far from where he fell in and it had the lights on so it should be obvious in the dark' he reasoned with himself. Reality and John's reasoning were not aligned that night, as the boat was nowhere to be found, and John began to worry. Although his body could recover from just about anything, he did not like the prospect of possible hypothermia, and the water was freezing.

He began to look at the horizon, hoping to see lights or land or really anything he could swim towards to get out of the water. As his eyes adjusted to the moonlight, he saw something that made his jaw drop. There was an iceberg floating in the distance reflecting the moonlight which made it obvious. 'What the hell, how the hell is there an iceberg in the pacific?' he thought to himself. Continuing to scan the horizon, he saw the faint rise of a tree line in the distance. "Oh thank god!" he said out loud as he began to swim towards it as best as he could with his hands tied together.

It took John three hours to make it to the shoreline. He didn't know about how other people's bodies worked, but he assumed that any normal person would have frozen to death by this point. 'I feel like I could jump straight into a fire and I still wouldn't heat up' he thought as he dragged his freezing body up the beach, which happened to be filled with rocks instead of sand.

'I bet even Navy Seals training isn't this bad' he thought ruefully. He crawled his way towards the trees, doing anything he could to get away from the cold wetness that surrounded him. 'I NEED to get warm' he decided. 'Priority numero uno: Get WARM!'. Visibly shaking, he took off all his clothes and began rummaging through the small backpack he had on over his blue hoody.

The thought of 'Why didn't they ever bother taking my backpack?' had crossed his mind, but he just assumed that they didn't want to leave behind any evidence and it's not like he had anything worth stealing considering what they were planning to do to him. Thankful for small graces, he began pulling out various things searching for one item in particular. 'Ok, still got the food I purchased from 7-Eleven, my protective case that has my phone and iPod is not wet, my wallet still here surprisingly, and…' "THANK GOD it's still here!" he exclaimed out loud as he pulled out a blue propane lighter that his dad asked him to buy so he could grill some burgers.

He was very thankful that his back pack was a camping rated wet proof design which is why although it was submerged, only a little water soaked though. 'Not enough to damage anything' he thought happily. Using the lighter, he first melted the zip-tie strap that was still binding his hands together and relished in the relief of having his hands free again. He quickly gathered some dead pine needles and some dead branches in the vicinity and quickly started a fire using the lighter. As it started up he went to get more dead branches in order to keep the fire going.

Satisfied with his haul, he returned with a big bundle of wood which he began to slowly feed to the fire. As the fire grew, John began putting his clothes around it in an attempt to dry them off and he finally felt like he was warming up. All of the sudden, a wave of exhaustion overtook him, and he quickly made a pillow of dead debris as he curled himself around the fire. The last thought that passed through his head before he fell asleep was 'Man, today sucked'.

Meanwhile

"Sir, you need to take a look at this" a lab coat wearing stripped brown mongoose spoke while handing a folder containing files to a large lab coat wearing hippo.

"What is this supposed to be Charles?" The hippo asked his smaller companion as he took the folder.

Charles replied "Well, one of the twelve seismic detectors set in the Northern Ocean above the Northern Wilds detected something very strange a couple of hours ago. The ASRA (Animalia Scientific Research Association) have requested your opinion since you have previous experience with dealing with these seismic detectors."

It was true. The Hippo's name was Donovan Bastille and he was a successful scientist and licensed engineer pertaining to the use and repair of seismic equipment. He was part of the ASRA, Polar City division. The seismic equipment in question provided very helpful information to the scientific community which included things like seismic readings, sea composition readings and temperatures, gravity fluctuations pertaining to internal planet structure shifts, etc. He was in charge of categorizing and analyzing their findings to be sent to other specialists in other branches of the ASRA.

In short, these seismic detectors were incredibly useful pieces of equipment which meant they were also very expensive and it was his job to maintain their upkeep due to him being the closest and most experienced with said equipment. Dr. Bastille read through the report and then scanned the data before frowning "Ugh, looks like we're going to need to do some maintenance on the #7 seismic detector".

"Why do you say that?" Charles asked curiously.

"Because this data indicates that the scanner sensed a gravitational flux about three miles off the coast of the Northern Wilds" replied Dr. Bastille, "Which is impossible since we aren't doing any field tests" he continued.

"Very well, I will relay your professional opinion to the boys back home. Hopefully, it doesn't take too long this time to send out a repair team" replied Charles.

Bastille sighed softly, "It's because of all that damn paperwork, but please tell them that it needs to be done quickly. The fact that one aspect is malfunctioning probably means water is leaking inside and will eventually corrode and destroy the whole thing, and you know how expensive those sensors are."

Charles replied "Very well, you should get some sleep Donovan, pardon my language but you look like shit. When's the last time you had a full night's sleep?"

"It's been too long Charles" Donovan chuckled humorlessly. "And once they approve the maintenance request, I'll be getting even less"

"Alright then, see you tomorrow and GET SOME SLEEP" emphasized Charles.

"Will do!" laughed Donovan as Charles left the office. Dr. Bastille sat back in his chair, groaning audibly while rubbing his eyes. 'This week is going to suck'

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 **A/N: If there are any typos or grammatical mistakes, just leave a comment. That is of course, if anyone reads this in the first place ahaha. Also, any suggestions for improving my storytelling abilities would be much appreciated. That is the point of this after all.**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Thinking back on what I have written before, I realize that I love making my characters suffer. Am I a sadist? Also, I do have a plan on how this story will progress, I just like to add certain scenes when inspiration hits.**

 **Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

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Chapter 2: Rough Day

John woke up with a start after having a strange dream. It took him a couple of seconds to get his bearings as he looked around. He recalled what happened yesterday and remembered his strange predicament which had him asking the same question repeatedly: 'Where the hell am I?'

He tried to make a guess based on his current environment. It was still cold, and the presence of many coniferous trees reminded him of Canada which made absolutely no sense considering where he plunged into the ocean. He recalled that strange vertigo moment he had when he was sinking into the ocean, thinking that could have something to do with it. He soon stopped that train of thought because theories wouldn't solve his current situation, but finding civilization could lead to answers.

He got up, still naked, and checked his clothes which to his relief were almost completely dry. Shaking each article, John hoped to dislodge the salt which had solidified and would be very uncomfortable until he could wash them in fresh water. He put on his plain white tee and hoody which, to his annoyance, still had the three holes from where he was shot. 'Some things never change huh?' he thought annoyed. He then slipped on his briefs followed by his socks and dark blue jeans. Tucking in his plain white tee into his jeans, he put on his belt and tightened it creating a snug fit just the way he liked it. Lastly, he put on his shoes which were still damp on the inside. He packed up everything he had unpacked in his desperation to get warm last night back into his backpack, slung it over his shoulder, and he was ready to go.

'Oh wait, my phone!' he mentally exclaimed. He quickly took off his backpack and pulled out the protective case containing his iPod and his Galaxy phone. He also pulled out his earphones and put both the iPod and earphones into his pockets. Turning on his phone, he found himself whispering "Please let there be a signal" and when the phone turned on he held it to the cloudy sky, only to be disappointed to find that there wasn't any. "Figures" he muttered as he held the phone.

He opened his compass app which he downloaded for one of his camping trips and tried to orient himself. He discovered that North was facing the ocean he just came from and that South lead into the forest. Steeling himself for what he assumed was going to be an extended "camping trip", he turned off his phone to save battery, shoved it into his pocket and started walking into the snow covered woods.

John loved nature. He loved camping in the woods and sleeping under the stars. He loved the sounds the birds and insects would make and the occasional scurry of a startled wild animal. Due to his "special abilities" he never was truly afraid of being alone in the woods. He could probably hold his own against any wild animal he thought to himself. But all those times he went camping he had been prepared for the environment.

Right now, he was thrown into a strange wood with nothing but a propane lighter. The temperature was constantly below 30 degrees Fahrenheit and he only had a t-shirt and hoodie (with holes), jeans, and regular socks and sneakers to cover himself up with instead of a jacket, camping boots, long johns, gloves, and cap. He didn't have a tent, didn't have fresh water, didn't have an emergency radio, didn't have a sleeping bag, didn't have "fill in the blank". Right now all he did have was a lighter, a box of granola bars which he had been eating sparingly, some cups of mandarin oranges, and his wallet. He was perpetually cold, hungry, and tired. Yes, this was not one of his better "camping trips".

Having accepted his miserable fate until he could find civilization, he created a daily routine which included rationing the meager food he had. He would wake up, walk as far as he could south while occasionally checking his phone's compass app to make sure he was heading in the right direction, start a fire, curl up on a dry spot, and go to sleep. He would eat sparingly, only when he really needed food, and he would drink to fill up his stomach whenever he found a stream. Occasionally, John would pull out his iPod and listen to some music, but after two weeks of walking both his iPod and phone had died, despite using sparingly.

At that point he was orienting himself using the age old knowledge that the sun rises in the east and sets in the west. He continued south, hoping to find some sign of civilization but all he seemed to find was more trees. 'This forest never ends' he had thought to himself many times. During this trek he noticed something strange about the local wildlife. He had seen many animals while walking, but there was something about them that unnerved him. When he first started walking, he remembered passing by a squirrel. The squirrel looked at him as if it was trying to figure out what he was. It was curious. But after a couple of hours after the event something dawned on him 'squirrels aren't supposed to be curious'.

From what he remembered, squirrels would always bolt at the first sight of John, not just stand there gazing at him. After that event, he began noticing the same thing with all creatures he passed, they all looked at him with curiosity, the same curiosity that the squirrel had. One particular event still stuck with him, and that was when a stag was brave enough to approach him. As it approached, he noticed other animals staring at the buck and him with curiosity as if they were waiting to see how John would react to it.

This was very disturbing to him; The looks the animals were giving him seemed to convey intelligence. The buck continued to approach John, gazing at him with what seemed to be apprehension but with more hidden curiosity. John, not sensing any threatening intent from the buck lowered his stance and raised his hand for the buck to sniff. The buck relaxed as John lowered his stance and proceeded to sniff his hand.

At this point, John was the curious one and simply sat on the ground as the buck started to get closer. It began to sniff John's face and even licked his hair which made him laugh. 'This is so cool' he thought with a smile as the buck continued to "examine" him. Looking around, he noticed something that made him open his eyes in amazement. The other animals were closing in on him, as if the fact that the buck being comfortable around John made it ok to approach him. A couple of squirrels, an arctic hare, a little shrew, and a couple of lemmings all approached John and began to "examine" him as well.

John just sat there in stunned silence trying to understand what was happening. 'Did I die and get reincarnated into a male version of Snow White?'. After about five minutes, John became bored with them examining him and decided he should try petting one. John couldn't resist after all, the arctic hare just looked too poofy with that warm fur. He reached down at the arctic hare that was sniffing his jeans and began to scratch its head. The hare tensed up for a brief moment before going completely limp against the ground as John continued to massage its skull. After a couple of seconds, the hare began thumping his leg against the ground and John smiled while thinking 'This is one of the cutest things I have ever seen'

He moved his hand behind the ears of the hair and began to scratch and the thumping almost doubled in speed. He laughed as he guessed he found its "sweet spot". He was so focused on the hare, that he didn't notice the other animals watching his actions with interest. What happened next, however, would forever be burned into his memory. The hare suddenly stopped thumping its leg and its ears shot straight up. Its eyes began to scan the surrounding snow and underbrush. John, confused, began to look around as well to see what it noticed. The other animals began to pick up on the hare's nervousness and also began using their senses to find what the hare had heard. He heard a twig snap, and then all hell broke loose.

All the animals began bolting from the source of the sound and John watched, still sitting down, as a white fox appeared from beneath the snow covered underbrush and began to chase the hare. For a split second as the arctic fox ran past, it looked at John with the same curiosity as the other animals before resuming its chase. They both bolted off into the distance at max speed. John didn't know what happened next, but that event, which happened one week ago, made him realize something. That was the first predator he had seen.

Two more uneventful weeks went by with the same routine, only by this point John was virtually out of food, despite finding and eating wild berries to help his meager food supply last longer. He had finished his last bit of his last granola bar that morning, and he was hungry. He knew that a normal human could survive without food for weeks, but he didn't know how slowly starving would affect him, and he didn't want to find out.

Thinking about his options, John contemplated hunting some animals, but that previous encounter turned that idea sour in his head. 'There is something about these animals and I don't want to eat them unless I have to'. He knew if it really came down to it, he wouldn't hesitate to hunt, but he wanted to avoid it unless he had no choice. He continued walking and he began to do the math in his head. He had traveled for around twenty-eight days and he must have traveled a little over two hundred miles.

The weather had alternated between cloudy and clear and it snowed occasionally at night. He also noticed something that was beginning to make him nervous. 'It's getting colder'. The day he was kidnapped was October 5th, and if he had been traveling for twenty-eight days it would theoretically be November 2nd. 'That means winter is getting closer, and it's only going to get worse. I have to find civilization soon or its going to be bad' reasoned John with a grim expression.

"…lp"

John stopped walking and tuned his senses to the meager sound he had just heard. His senses were better than what was normal for a person which he assumed was due to his unique constitution.

"…help"

'Ok, I definitely heard something that time' he thought as he tried to locate the source of the sound.

"OH MY GOD, SOMEONE! ANYONE! H-HELP ME! AHHHHH!"

Ok, there was absolutely no mistaking it that time. The voice sounded like it came from someone around his age and it was laced with panic and a tinge of hysteria. John felt the mixed emotions of relief at finally finding someone in this wilderness and apprehension that they are definitely in trouble. He ran as fast as he could towards the source of the screaming. He yelled back as loud as he could "WHERE ARE YOU!"

"OH THANK HEAVENS! P-PLEASE HELP!" the voice screamed sounding much closer. John stopped and was about to yell back when a thought struck him.

'Wait, if he is getting closer, that means he is running. Why would he be runn…'

"AWOOOOOOOOOOOO"

John's train of thought was interrupted by a loud howl and he immediately could guess what was happening. The person being was being chased by wolves. John mentally sighed as he knew helping this guy would put himself in danger, but if he was being honest with himself, he knew he would survive anyway and it wouldn't hurt to help. Also, this was the first person he had met in around a month, he wasn't about to let him get eaten. He screamed towards the voice "COME THIS WAY QUICK, OVER THE HILL".

After about five seconds, he could hear someone running as they crunched through the thin layers of snow on the ground. John waited with baited breath as the he heard the sound getting closer and closer until he finally saw someone appear at the top of the snowy hill running full speed. 'A KID? what the hell!?' he thought as he saw the person being chased running full speed down the hill.

The "kid" was wearing a camouflaged jacket that had two exterior jumbo pockets on each side and a pair of camo pants with many side pockets. His feet were covered in what appeared to be foot wrappings. On his back, he had on a plastic looking backpack with a pair of clear orbs on each shoulder strap, the backpack itself having a dark color scheme. 'The kid looks like he is trying to dress up as some hard core nature survivalist' was John's first impression.

As the "kid" ran towards him at a speed he didn't think physically possible for someone two and a half foot tall, he noticed that the kid had a light brown complexion which meant he was probably Black or Hispanic. "Alright, just come to me!" John said out loud to the kid while holding out his arms to the "kid". Just before he reached John, he jumped about five feet in the air in a huge flying leap towards John's face, which he wasn't prepared for. John felt something soft slam against his chest and two arms wrap around his neck.

The "kid" began speaking in rapid fire "Oh my god, I am so glad I found a Ranger, I thought I was a goner. We have to run quick! I am being hunted by a pack of wolves. Do you have any stun darts on you?".

John was more than a little confused at this point. '1) Why does this kid sound like he's in his twenties. 2) How can he possibly be that fast and jump that high. 3) What the hell is a ranger.' While John was trying to mentally answer the above three questions, he felt two soft appendages slap him in the face. He quickly pulled off the deep voiced/super "kid" in order to get a better look at him. John's mind went blank.

John had seen movies where someone had seen something so shocking that they lose consciousness and he always called bull-shit. He was now beginning to rethink that. He was looking at a bunny. A bunny. A talking bunny. A talking bunny wearing survival gear. At this point he just assumed he was going insane and he detached himself from reality in order to deal with the situation at hand. The wolves were still chasing the bunny and most likely him now. 'Great, guilt by association'

John began to sort through the chaos in his head by trying to logically come to some conclusions to the questions he asked before. '1) He sounds like he is in his twenties because he might be. He is a bunny after all. 2) Because he is a bunny. 3) Answer later. 4) For those who are politically correct: He clearly isn't Black or Hispanic, he is a bunny'. That last conclusion was more a joke to himself, trying to distract himself from how impossible this whole situation seemed.

John's fast decent into madness was stopped when he heard the faint sound of snow being crunched underneath from the same direction the bunny came from. A second later he saw three white and grey wolves come over the crest of the hill in a fast trot in his direction. When they saw him and the bunny, they began to howl. "Time to go!" John said as he placed the stunned bunny on the back of his head in a piggy-back ride fashion and exclaimed "Hold on!".

He began to run at full speed, ducking and weaving between the trees, the bunny's paws holding onto his hair for dear life. He jumped over the small stream he recently crossed and continued on his escape. He looked to his right and left and noticed a couple of wolves in the distance had already surpassed his position but were not moving in to engage him. He quickly realized what they were doing 'They are going to surround us. They're going to block my escape'.

Despite being faster than a normal person, he knew he couldn't out-run a wolf in the short term. He began to look around while running trying to find a solution to his dilemma when he saw a dead tree about fifty meters away. Without much thinking, he took off towards it, a plan/temporary solution forming in his mind. He took a split second to look back only to find that the original three wolves were already only around thirty meters behind them. He kept running, as fast as he could go, but the wolves were gaining.

Forty meters, he twisted his ankle stepping into a slight divot in the snow, but John pushed through the pain.

Thirty meters, the wolves were closer to him than he was to the tree.

Twenty meters, 'Almost there!' he screamed internally.

Ten meters, he didn't dare look back, but the wolves were close enough to where he could clearly hear their labored pants.

Zero meters, by the time he reached the tree, the wolves were almost snapping at his ankles. Going full speed, John jumped into the base of the tree, pushed off the trunk with as much force as he legs could manage, and just barely managed to grab the lowest hanging branch in a move that would have made a professional gymnast proud, before beginning to pull himself up. Unfortunately, the rabbit hanging on his head wasn't ready for the change of direction and slipped off his head just as John managed to grab the branch.

"AHHHHHHHH!" the rabbit screamed as he could see his doom in the three wolves snapping at the air below them trying to reach them. Before the bunny could fall to his certain demise, a strong hand grasped one of the straps on his backpack. The bunny looked up to see the strange mammal holding on to the branch with one paw(?) and the other holding on to his backpack. 'The strange mammal saved my life! Again' the bunny thought to himself.

John pulled the rabbit up and set him on his back again and stated "Hold on!" to which the rabbit complied fiercely. John then, both hands on the branch, pulled them both onto the branch itself before setting the bunny down on an adjacent branch. They were finally safe! For the moment anyway. John caught his breath as his body nearly instantly recovered from the exertion. 'Ah the perks of being me' he sighed to himself.

He glanced down at the wolves which were eyeing him and the bunny hungrily. He now counted eleven wolves in total which made him grimace with the reality of his situation 'We're trapped'. He looked at the bunny who was eyeing both the wolves and him strangely as his pink nose twitched. John stared at the bunny who was staring right back for about five seconds before he began to giggle. The giggle turned into a chuckle which turned into full blown boisterous laughter which lasted around thirty seconds before John could calm down. Wiping the tears from his eyes, he glanced at the bunny who was still looking at him with a strange expression and said "So… rough day huh?"

* * *

 **A/N: Any typos or grammatical mistakes I didn't catch, just leave a comment. Any suggestions on improving my storytelling are welcome and appreciated.**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Wow, I have a new found appreciation for people who write long stories. This felt like it took months, and its only 11k words. Also, I didn't expect it to take so long to go from point A (Jacob's home) to point B (Meeting John). Things are gonna get interesting next chapter. At least, I think they will. Sometimes it feels like stories writes themselves without my control.**

* * *

Chapter 3: Destinies Collide

(1 week earlier)

"Jacob, I know this has been your dream, but can you please think about what you are about to do?" spoke a middle aged bunny wearing a flannel shirt and work jeans who was standing in front of the door with her arms folded.

Jacob replied "Mom, I understand this risks, but it's something that I have always wanted. Why can't you understand? You did the same thing with Judy and look at how successful she has become."

"Jacob Alexander Hopps, don't you dare bring your sister into this. I'll admit that your father and I were against her doing her becoming a police officer, but we kept our minds open for that because at least we could call her every day. Not only is what you are about to do far more dangerous than even being a police officer in Zootopia, we won't be able to contact you for weeks at a time." The mother scolded her son in a way only a mother could.

"Mom" Jacob replied used to these kinds of talks "I have made up my mind. I am going to be a Ranger and explore the Northern Wilds. I just want you to support me on this".

Jacob Hopps had always been an adventurous kit. Similar to his older sister Judy, he was never a fan of settling and becoming a farmer like so many of his siblings before him. While Judy wanted to be a police officer to "make the world a better place" as she said it, he wanted to be a Ranger for the Northern Wilds and explore. He had bought many books pertaining to wilderness survival and read all the reports and findings of previous Rangers who explored the Wilds. He knew that the goal of the Rangers was primarily to do research and documentation about animal behaviors and tendencies in a wild environment.

Their findings were very helpful to the scientific community, who were still trying to understand primal instinctual behaviors in the evolved animals today by seeing how those same animals acted in a totally wild environment. Based on previous findings, he had read that the animals in the Wilds were technically evolved, meaning that they were sentient, but they still behaved exactly as their primal selves did thousands of years ago.

Jacob found this to be fascinating, and he wanted to become a part of the research effort, but alas, he was not as headstrong as his sister Judy was. His parents had been even more adamant against his dream than they were with Judy's and he had almost given up on it, that is until Judy actually managed to become a cop herself thanks to the Mammal Inclusion Initiative. Once Jacob heard the news, he bide his time working on his parent's farm, waiting to see if she would fail. Only she didn't fail, she flourished.

He had read the reports and heard from her firstpaw how she managed to track down all fourteen missing mammals within forty-eight hours of taking the most hopeless lead which led to her miraculously getting Lionheart on video basically admitting to hiding them. If that wasn't enough, she managed to overturn an even bigger conspiracy, with the help of a local fox, of how the assistant mayor Bellwether had been directly causing predators to go savage in order to gain power from what he had heard.

Within two months, the first rabbit officer had two mayors arrested and overturned a conspiracy threatening to destroy the city almost single-handedly. Jacob was completely inspired all over again, and he finally decided to tell his sister about his dream. He called her up the first chance he could. "Hey Judy, can we talk? Are you busy?"

Judy replied "Actually Jacob, I am hanging out with friends right now-"

"It's important" Jacob emphasized.

"Oh, uh, ok. What is it?" Judy said now serious.

"I want to become a Northern Wilds Ranger" spoke Jacob with conviction.

There was a tangible pause before Jacob heard a high pitched squeal "EEEEEEEK, NO WAY! Since when?" Jacob and Judy talked for the next hour and a half where he confided that it was his dream and that she inspired him. Judy in turn was very supportive and happy to have inspired her little brother. She emphasized that if he ever needed help with ANYTHING that he calls her immediately. Jacob was visibly moved and almost started crying at how supportive she was being, particularly due to the negative feedback he had always been receiving from his parents and fellow siblings about his dream.

Immediately after the phone call, he filled out his application to Ranger School and mailed it in to the local Zootopia Ranger School liaison. Within two weeks, he received a letter of acceptance, likely due to the same legislation that allowed Judy to become a cop, but he didn't care. 'This is the moment that I, Jacob Hopps, started my journey to become the greatest Ranger ever!' He thought with the same enthusiasm that Judy showed before becoming a cop as he smiled.

The acceptance letter came with instructions to head to Polar City where they were to meet with the Ranger liaison at a specific date and time. From Polar City, they would be taken on an air tour via helicopter over the Northern Wilds and shown specific landmarks to keep an eye out for when travelling through the Wilds. After the tour, they would be flown to a regulated training facility located in the northeastern portion of the Wilds where they would begin their four-month survival training.

The letter also came with a list of what was REQUIRED, what was RECOMMENDED, and what was OPTIONAL to bring. To say that Jacob was excited would be an understatement, and he immediately began ordering all of the equipment he would need online using his savings. When his purchases came in four days later, he began to pack everything away since he had only two days left before he needed to be in Polar City.

By the time he was all dressed and packed up, he was running late for the bullet train to Zootopia. From Zootopia he would take another bullet train northwest towards Mammaltropolis and from there he would take the final bullet train heading northeast towards Polar City.

He spared a glance in the full body mirror in his room. He was wearing a camo jacket with matching camo pants that each had many pockets. The jacket was specially designed with special pockets on the back near the neck that he could slip his ears into if it got too cold. His feet were wrapped up in heavy duty foot wraps designed for camping, or in his case wilderness exploring. On his pack he was carrying a specially ordered double backpack. The unique design had a smaller tough plastic backpack over which sat a much larger nylon expandable backpack.

There was a pre-shaped notch in the big backpack where the small and big backpack would connect and fit over each other like a glove. The smaller backpack contained emergency supplies such as small high calorie food bars, water purification tablets, emergency care supplies, etc. The bigger bag contained everything else such as clothes, food, actual water, survival equipment, etc.

The backpack setup had a very practical purpose: If for whatever reason the carrier would need to lighten his load, he could unbuckle a special strap on the shoulder and pull it causing the big backpack to disconnect from the smaller backpack and fall to the ground, which is why the smaller backpack contained only emergency supplies. Jacob had found this online and thought it was awesome so he decided to pay a little extra for it. By far, the most expensive thing he paid for was an item under the OPTIONAL category.

He had bought three leading model miniature GoWild cameras that had extremely long battery lives (about three months) and could charge themselves in sunlight giving them an effective life of about five months. Although they could only record in 720P and not the more preferred 1080P, they could record a whole four months' worth of footage before becoming full thanks to one of his special customizations. 'Another practical choice since batteries don't grow naturally in the wild' Jacob thought jokingly. He had customized the straps of his backpack to fit a GoWild on each strap to casually record his travels and he had the third one in his smaller pack. The two GoWild cameras in his straps had wires leading through the straps into a special compartment in the interior backpack that was solely for the purpose of storing their recordings, which allowed them to record far more than the normal twelve hours.

The third GoWild was set up to be fitted onto surfaces in the case he found a vantage point from which he could observe animals in the Wilds. Standing proud in the mirror, his attire making him look, in his opinion, somewhat badass, he decided he was ready to roll. As he strolled through the burrow, some of his siblings wished him good luck while other snickered at his attire. He ignored them however, because he knew what he wanted and he was finally about to go for it. 'Nothing can stop me now' he thought merrily. That is, until he reached the front door and found a disgruntled looking mom. 'Oh crap' he thought.

(Present)

Bonnie looked over her son with a bit of hesitation, as though her moving away from blocking the door was signing her son's death warrant. As a last ditch attempt to stop him, she said to him "Jacob, you do realize that although predators have evolved and become civilized, it's not the same where you are about to go. There is a reason that hasn't been any rabbit or hare Rangers before. It's because those wild animals up north would see them as a meal. You could be hunted, and I don't want some random Ranger coming to my door telling my baby boy was eaten."

Bonnie was starting to get emotional, fully realizing where her boy was about to go. Jacob could see her distress as tears started to form in her eyes. Reaching out with both arms, he pulled his mother into a tight hug. "I love you baby, I just don't want you to get hurt" she said while crying into his arms.

Her emotion was starting to rub off on him as he felt tears coming to his eyes when he replied "I love you too mom, and I promise to be safe and not get eaten. I will come back". Bonnie pulled away from the hug as she quietly whispered "You better come back in one piece" in a tone that implied that if he didn't come back in one piece, she was going to break him into many pieces.

Jacob smiled "Don't worry mom, its only regulated training to start with, nothing too dangerous". Bonnie finally smiled as she watched her son walk out the door, toss his backpack into the back of the truck, hop in, and began to pull out into the road. Several of the younger bunnies and some of his litter mates came outside to see him off as they waved in his direction. Lester came strolling out of the burrow and proceeded to hop into the passenger seat of the truck.

Lester and Jacob were of the same litter, being in the 2nd litter between Stu and Bonnie Hopps, and they were very close. Lester spoke to him "You know, dad wishes you his best, but he had to go fix one of the sprinkler systems that burst before it flooded."

"Yea I heard" Jacob replied.

"Besides, you know that he gets even more emotional than mom does and if mom cried, well, the roads would be flooded with tears before we could leave." Stated Lester in a matter-of-fact way.

Jacob chuckled in response as he leaned out the window and waved back at his family who were yelling "Good luck!". As he drove towards the Bunnyburrow train station Lester spoke "You really doing this aren't ya bro"

It was more of a statement than a question and Jacob replied with conviction "Absolutely!". 'After all', Jacob thought to himself, 'It's just survival training to start with, how bad could it possibly be?'

Jacob sat on the bullet train headed to Zootopia, his attire drawing more than a few curious looks. He ignored them as he was reading a pamphlet that came with the acceptance letter on the dangers of the Wilds. Reading it, he found that it listed all the same dangers that he had read in other survival books about the possibility of freezing, starvation, dehydration, poisonous mushrooms and berries, etc.

Scanning through the stuff he had read many times before, he all but skipped to the end and saw a title that intrigued him: _Dangerous Animals_. He started reading it and was fascinating by what he was learning. It went into detail about each possibly threatening animal he would encounter out there including everything from weasels all the way to the wild polar bear, quite possibly the most singularly dangerous land predator due to its size and strength.

Although they were mostly about predators, it did include snippets about wild prey such as hogs, which were highly territorial and easily provoked, and moose, who could easily kill any animals that startled them. The pamphlet had details such as how to avoid, signs to look for if they were in the vicinity, what to do if they encountered them, etc. It even little Ranger tips listed under each animal that had details pertaining to specific mammals. For example, there was a tip specifically for wolf Rangers about how to avoid pack assimilation should they encounter wild wolves which he thought was funny.

'Must have been from personal experience' he thought to himself thinking about how such a situation would play out. He was so engrossed in reading, he almost missed getting off the train when it arrived in Zootopia. He waited patiently for the next train that would take him to Mammaltropolis, animals passing by him giving him curious looks. 'Geez, it's like they have never seen a bunny in camo before. It can't be THAT uncommon'.

Standing patiently at the station, he felt someone tug at his pants. Looking down to his right, he saw an orange and black striped tiger cub looking at him with undisguised curiosity. Jacob spoke "Can I help you little one?".

The kid responded "Mister, are you going to war?". Jacob had the urge to laugh out loud at the innocent question 'Must be the camo' he thought laughing in his head.

He reined himself in and spoke calmly smiling warmly at the cub "No, but I am going to Ranger School, which is why I'm dressed like this".

"Woahhhh! That is sooooo cooool!" emphasized the little kit whose eyes were sparkling with admiration. The little cub's innocent admiration of his career choice filled Jacob with warmth and brought a smile to his face. The moment was ruined however, when he heard someone laugh out loud behind him. Frowning, Jacob turned to face the offender only to find a spotted cheetah sitting on a bench smirking at him. "Something funny spots?" Jacob asked curtly.

The cheetah's smirk turned into a sneer at the nickname and he replied "Yeah, just the fact that you think you would survive a day in the Wilds. You'd be eaten the second you stepped outside the fence". He knew to expect this kind of prejudice, but to heard it said to his face hurt a little. Not one to back down, he responded "Wanna bet spots?"

"Oh, feisty little bunny aren't ya. Ok then, if you somehow manage to survive and come back with your Ranger certification, I will take you out for drinks and pay for the whole night" he spoke with a smug grin. The cheetah then pulled out a piece of paper and wrote his name and number on it before handing it to the bunny. Getting up, he walked towards the train that just came in while Jacob stood by glaring at him. "See ya later bunny, or probably not" He snickered still wearing that smug grin as the door to the train closed.

'I'm gonna wipe that smug grin off his stupid face. And when I get back I'm gonna buy the whole bar drinks on his stupid tab' he thought slightly peeved at the exchange. He then proceeded to type the number into his phone, but stopped as he read the name _Tyler Spots_ and began laughing loudly 'Explains why he didn't like the nickname' he thought as he internally chuckled. After getting the name into his phone, he noticed the cub was still staring at him. "Where are your parents kiddo?" he asked him.

The kid responded with a startled "Ah!" as if he just remembered something incredibly important. "I gotta go, good luck mister!" the kid yelled as he ran off to reunite with his parents. Jacob smiled as he ran away.

'Cute kit' he thought. He continued to wait, his train not coming for another fifteen minutes. Standing there bored, he heard a commotion near the front entrance of the station.

"Hurry Nick or we'll miss him".

He thought to himself 'I know that voice. It couldn't be though could it? Isn't she working today?'.

"Easy on the tie there carrots, I still need to breath" he heard a mischievous sounding voice grumble in reply. After scanning through the crowd that had formed, Jacob saw her.

'It's Judy, she's actually here' he mentally exclaimed. Their eyes connected, and she gave Jacob a broad smile.

Judy exclaimed "Police business, please disperse!" as she forced her way between a hippo and a brown bear that had been blocking her escape dragging a less than enthusiastic red fox by his black tie. Judy was wearing her special order form fitting uniform that she always wore while the fox was in the standard police uniform with his sleeves rolled up. He was wearing dark aviators over his eyes while holding a cup of Snarlbucks coffee.

'Why does he still need coffee?' Jacob thought while checking his watch. 'It's already 1130'. As she walked towards him from across the station, he could see mammals pointing at her and the fox while whispering to themselves. 'Must be annoying being a celebrity AND being so easily recognizable' he thought to himself. When Judy finally reached him, she let go of Nick's tie who made a dramatic wheezing sound while breathing in, as if he had been choking.

Judy groaned and said "Can you act your age for once?"

"Never" he replied with a smug grin. Judy rolled her eyes, and then proceeded to face Jacob, who had been watching their little exchange with an amused grin.

Judy proceeded to pull him into a big hug while he stated with genuine surprise "What are you guys doing here?"

"Oh, we just thought we say goodbye and wish good luck to the world's future first rabbit Ranger" she replied playfully. "Gotta get my hugs in now before you become famous and have no time for us common folk" she continued.

Jacob rolled his eyes dramatically, replying "That's rich coming from you, the famous Judy Hopps of the ZPD" he whooshed his paws in the air for dramatic effect.

"You said it buddy" Nick chimed in, "I am almost as famous and I still have to fight tooth and claw for her attention" he chuckled in mock self-derision. "Guess I will never be good enough for the wonder bunny" he said in a way that made it sound like it was the most tragic thing he has ever had to admit.

Judy hid her blush and groaned again saying "Cheese and crackers you are such a kit"

"That's why I always stick with my guardian bunny, to protect me from all the big scary mammals" he quipped back. Judy slapped a paw to her face sighing audibly. Nick, satisfied that he had gotten Judy flustered, decided it was time for introductions. He held out a paw to Jacob and spoke formally "Nicholas Wilde, first fox officer of the ZPD, the most handsome tod you will ever meet, and partnered to the most adora-HMPH" he was cut off with a punch to his ribs from Judy.

Smiling from watching their antics, he took his paw and shook it while replying formally "Jacob Hopps, brother of the 'wonder bunny'" Judy glared at him but Jacob continued "And soon to be the first rabbit Ranger".

"I know" Nick replied "Judy wouldn't stop talking about you during movie night. By the way, I got something special to celebrate". Both Judy and Jacob watched Nick with curiosity as he reached into his front pocket, pulled out a small booklet, proceeded to peel something off of it, and stuck it to Jacob's chest. Jacob looked down and smiled while reading out loud "Junior Ranger" from the sticker that Nick put on his chest. Judy giggled at that, remembering the time she hustled Nick and when Finnick slapped a similar sticker onto his chest.

Suddenly, a voice over Nick and Judy's radio spoke in a garbled manner "Officers Hopps and Wilde, we got a 10-31, purse snatcher running down Grazer Avenue. You two are the closest unit and we need you to head them off at Hood Lane"

Judy sighed and spoke into the radio "10-4, we're on our way" Judy gave Jacob one last hug, wished him luck, and proceeded to start running towards the entrance.

Nick watched as Judy began to run, and glanced towards Jacob before speaking in a serious tone "You know, if you ever encounter a wild red fox, just give him some blueberries". He gave a toothy smile and continued "It's our one weakness". Giving a lazy two fingered flick of his right paw, which Jacob assumed was a salute, he proceeded to follow after Judy. Jacob waved as they left, his enthusiasm soaring from their impromptu visit. His train having arrived about two minutes ago, he hopped on, took a seat, and continued reading his pamphlet as the train began to move.

Getting a headache from reading on the long train ride, Jacob began to watch the scenery roll by. Countless trees, fields, and hills zoomed on by at incredible speeds. When they were almost to Mammaltropolis, they passed underneath a mountain and when they emerged he could see the city. Zootopia was a city that tried very hard to accommodate every type of mammal. Being the only city in Animalia that had every type of biome, courtesy of the weather walls unique to Zootopia, its primary source of income was tourism which is why the city was designed to be beautiful.

Mammaltropolis was, by contrast, ugly. It was first and foremost, a place of business. Having the most lenient taxation laws for businesses out of all the major city-states, many major companies had their home base of operations stationed in Mammaltropolis. This was how the city made its revenue. Large, square, 'boring' thought Jacob, office skyscrapers could be seen from the train as they began to pull into the station, the station itself having a similar boring, grey, and unclean look to it.

He quickly got off as he looked around to see hundreds of mammals walking to and from the station entrance, most wearing business attire. Looking incredibly out of place, Jacob proceeded to find a seat on a bench and waited for the train to Polar City. Despite receiving more than a few curious glances, nothing interesting happened, so when his train arrived thirty minutes later, he simply boarded, sat down, and continued reading.

Fifteen minutes into the trip he finished reading the entire pamphlet. 'Wow that was a lot of great info' he thought excitedly. 'I wonder what I will experience out there? Maybe I will be able to add bunny specific Ranger tips' he chuckled internally. 'Although I doubt any other bunnies would ever follow in my footsteps' he thought sadly. Although Jacob hated the weak-willed, cowardly bunny stereotype, he had to admit there was a grain of truth in that it was true for the majority of bunnies. Having nothing better to do, and still being a little emotionally overwhelmed from this morning, Jacob found a nice corner seat, leaned into the railing, and fell asleep.

Jacob ran as fast as he could, both backpacks already discarded behind him. He was running through the Wilds, somehow being separated from the group he was undergoing survival training with when a pack of wolves gave chase. 'Faster, FASTER' he screamed mentally, too out of breath to speak. The wolves were right behind trying to block his escape. Jacob wasn't as fast as the wolves, but he was much more agile, and he managed to create some distance by weaving through thickets and dense areas of trees. 'I can do this!' he mentally exclaimed feeling hope rising as he slowly increased the distance between them.

That hope was shattered, however, when he was forced to come to a sudden stop. He had run into a cliff. 'No, NO' he began to panic. Looking down over the cliff, he saw a stream followed by an extension of the tree line off into the distance. Being an over seventy-five-foot drop, the stream was far too shallow to jump into. He could even see where the water ran over the rocks. 'GOD DAMMIT NO!'. Jacob turned around to try to find another direction to run, but it was already too late. The wolves had surrounded him.

He saw them in vivid detail, the adrenaline heightening his senses, the seven white and grey wolves were all eyeing him hungrily as a couple even licked their chops. They were all growling and snarling menacingly at him and Jacob was truly terrified. Slowly, they began to approach Jacob as he backed off towards the edge of the cliff. Jacob's mind was in turmoil, but then a sudden thought crossed his mind before resolution crossed his features. 'I would rather jump to my death than get torn apart' he thought with conviction.

Jacob had backed up to the very edge, his foot pushing snow off the edge down into the stream below. The lead wolf was only feet away from clamping his jaws around Jacob's throat and he was bracing himself to jump. Just before he committed, the lead wolf opened his mouth and spoke something strange: "Bunny…wake up". Shocked and confused he turned to look towards the lead wolf, only to find it standing there with its eyes glossed over. The wolf spoke against whilst lifting his paw towards Jacob's face.

'What the hell…? Thought Jacob, as the wolf robotically brought its paw up to Jacob.

The wolf began to speak again, "Bunny… I said WAKE UP" the wolf yelled as he flicked the bunny's forehead.

Jacob woke with a startled yelp as the intensity of the dream still rocked through his system. Rubbing his forehead, he felt the pain from someone flicking his forehead and sweat from the dream. He looked up to see a snow leopard in a train worker gown giving him an amused grin. "Sleep well commando bunny?".

Jacob gave him an unamused look and responded "Why did you do that?"

"We're here" the snow leopard replied simply.

"Oh" Jacob responded, suddenly feeling very sheepish.

"I gotta ask though, you were thrashing around pretty heavily there. Are you alright?" the larger predator asked with genuine concern.

Jacob recalled the dream he had just had sighed "Yea, just a bad dream is all. Thanks for waking me up."

"No problem sir, have a good day" the snow leopard responded politely as Jacob made his way to the door.

The first thing he noticed stepping out was how frigidly cold the air was which made him shiver involuntarily. It was night time, blizzard season was just around the corner, and the sky was clear meaning no clouds to trap heat. 'Guess this place is called Polar City for a reason' thought Jacob as he rubbed his paws together. Walking towards the surrounding fence, he noted how the train station was open air with only an overhang to block precipitation. Upon reaching the fence, Jacob poked his head out from between the bars in order to get a view of the surroundings. What he saw took his breath away.

The city was beautiful. 'The pictures I've seen don't do this place justice' he thought spellbound by the view. The train station was situated in the left corner of the city on a hill so people coming in could see the city in its entirety from the station itself. Unlike the other two cities he had seen, there were no skyscrapers here so it was possible to see the great expanse of the city from a high place. For starters, the half the city was literally inside a giant glacier that loomed in the background like a mountain. The roads and building were all colored white and the tallest buildings were only about four to five stories high, with the notable exception of the city hall whose roof almost touched the underbelly of the overhanging glacier.

The entirety of the city was covered in snow that never melted which made it a powder like substance. Reflecting the moonlight, the snow made the city look brighter despite being night and also gave it a fresh, pure, and clean feel. Jacob pulled out his phone and snapped several pictures and selfies before sending them off to Judy and the rest of his family. Leaving the station, he hailed a white colored cab to a nearby motel where he planned to stay the night before meeting the liaison officer in the morning.

"One small mammal sized room for one night pleased" Jacob asked.

The bored looking female arctic hare sitting behind the motel booth responded with a short "M-kay" before taking his money and handing him a key. Hurrying to his room, he quickly released his backpack and laid it against the wall, whilst rubbing his sore shoulders. Removing his clothes, he took a quick shower before drying off and collapsing onto the soft bed. Tired as he was from the long day of emotions and travel, he quickly set his alarm before snuggling under the covers. Before falling asleep, he remembered the dream he had on the train and thought to himself 'I'll show them. I'll show them all'.

Waking up to the alarm he set for 0630, Jacob got up feeling refreshed and ready to go. 'So glad I'm a morning person' he thought happily to himself. To say he was excited would be a gross understatement. Today was the day he would meet with his liaison officer, meet his fellow Ranger trainees, and get an actual airborne tour of the Wilds. Nearly bouncing off the walls, Jacob dawned all his gear and packed up his toiletries into his expandable backpack. Leaving the motel, he dawned another cab, gave the address to the older white wolf driving it, and set his bag in the trunk.

When he got into the cab, the driver asked him "You know kid, this address is the helicopter station. If you don't mind me asking, why you headin there?"

"I'm going to be a Ranger, and today is the first day of training" Jacob replied straightforwardly.

Raising and eyebrow at the response, the driver replied with an unimpressed "Huh, neat" as if he had heard stranger things before. Internally, however, the older white wolf was mentally shaking his head thinking "They just let anyone be Rangers these days".

The bunny, almost sensing the older wolf's doubt, replied "What, is there a problem with that?". The wolf just shrugged and began driving leaving Jacob without a response. He remembered what he told himself mentally last night 'Just you wait, I will show all of you what I can do".

Driving through the city, Jacob looked curiously at the density of arctic biome mammals that were walking the streets. Since Zootopia had Tundratown, arctic mammals were present throughout the city and weren't very uncommon, but to see so many of them was kind of a culture shock to Jacob. 'It makes sense' he mentally chided himself. 'This place is in the arctic biome. I shouldn't be that shocked'. Arriving at the helicopter station after passing through a gated fence surrounded by trees, Jacob saw the helicopter he would be taking. There were two helipads and a small station with a short control tower that had several blinking lights flashing.

On each helipad, there was a single dual rotor helicopter, like the ones the military used. One of the helicopters was obviously out of commission, as it had several of its blades detached from the rotors and there were several mammals crawling around it with various tools. The other helicopter had a line leading into it which was obviously fuel and the feline pilot, at least Jacob assumed he was due to his attire and helmet, was standing outside the cockpit smoking a cigarette. Exiting the cab, Jacob paid the driver and started walking towards the helicopter doors. Standing outside, the doors was a large male moose clothed in winter attire looking very impatient tapping a pen against a clipboard.

The moose eyed Jacob he approached with a look that expressed 'You have got to be kidding' while looking back and forth between his clipboard and Jacob. Sighing internally, Jacob approached the moose, stood in front of him and stated "Jacob Alexander Hopps reporting for Ranger training".

The moose took a second before replying "You're the last one here. Please sign this" as he handed Jacob the clipboard.

'How can I be the last one, I'm fifteen minutes early' Jacob thought and he began to feel sheepish thinking that he already made a mistake. He took the clipboard and scanned the paper. Noticing it was just a disclaimer that he was required to sign before being taken on a helicopter tour, he quickly signed it and handed the clipboard back to the moose.

The moose stated flatly, "The liaison officer will be with you shortly, please step into the helicopter and have a seat". The moose started walking back towards the helicopter station and Jacob walked up to the door. He turned on both of his GoWild cameras in his shoulder straps thinking now would be the perfect time to start recording his "adventure". Before walking in, he mentally prepared himself for the reactions he was expecting.

Jacob began to psych himself up 'Ok, the moose said you were the last one here, meaning everyone you will be going to train with for the next four months is already inside. They will probably laugh or make fun of you, but you will just have to prove them wrong during training. You have been exercising regularly so you are TOTALLY fit enough to handle most of what comes your way. Just make a good first impression and take your seat. You already know you are going to prove them wrong'. 'Ok here we go' thought Jacob as he stepped up the two stairs leading into the helicopter. As he walked into the helicopter, Jacob felt all eyes turn on him, seven pairs to be exact. Jacob took a step to the interior, tripped on something, and fell flat on his face in front of everyone.

The pain he felt was completely overshadowed by the humiliation that engulfed him. The roar of laughter that went throughout the cabin not easing it in the slightest. Standing up quickly, he hid his ears behind his head as he was sure they were beat red at the moment. A snow leopard sitting one seat away from the bay door was bent over clutching his stomach while laughing hysterically. After about thirty seconds of Jacob standing there listening to his future groups laughter, the snow leopard finally calmed down and while wiping tears from his eyes, he spoke to Jacob "Dude, thanks so much for that, you just made my day".

"No problem, glad to be entertaining" Jacob deadpanned back.

"Oh come on dude, don't be like that. You should have seen how tense it was in here before you stepped in. Ol' tub-a-chub over here", he pointed at the rhino sitting in the back, "Is probably the most serious dude I have ever met. I try telling him one joke and he immediately tells me to shut up." The snow leopard explained. "Thanks for breaking the ice, pun intended" he said while winking at Jacob. The other cadets, minus the rhino who looked insulted at being called "tub-a-chub", all nodded their heads in agreement, and Jacob felt his humiliation wither away.

"Here, sit next to me" the snow leopard said to the bunny while tapping the seat adjacent to the bay door which was right next to him. Jacob smiled genuinely and replied "Alright" before dropping his backpack beneath the seat and hopping on to it. "By the way, the names Max, Max Snowley" the snow leopard said warmly while holding his paw out to Jacob.

Jacob shook Max's paw and with a smile replied "The names Jacob, Jacob Hopps, and I plan on being the first rabbit Ranger". Jacob heard a scoff in the back of the cabin and turned to see the Rhino looking at him with a sneer.

"Aint no way a rabbit is gonna survive, let alone pass Ranger training" he spoke meanly.

Jacob, prepared for this kind of response, replied with a stoic face "I guess I will just have to prove you wrong tub-a-chub". Max giggled while the Rhino snorted and turned away from looking at Jacob. Yes, Jacob could tell he and Max were going to be good friends. Jacob began to take note of the other trainees. Excluding him, the snow leopard, and the jerk Rhino, there were five other trainees. There were two grey wolves that looked like brothers, an unfriendly looking warthog, a rather large reindeer, and lastly, an intimidating ox.

The two wolves were having a quiet discussion amongst themselves while the other three were arguing about something related to politics. The Rhino sat in the back not looking or talking to anyone and Max was just leaning back in his chair relaxing. Jacob was about to ask where Max came from when he heard someone step into the helicopter. All eyes turned toward the bay doors to see a large orange and black striped tiger standing while gazing at all of them. He was wearing an official Ranger uniform which was similar to a police uniform with extra pockets and camouflage patterns. In Jacobs opinion, the uniform looked badass.

By far the most striking thing about the tiger's appearance, besides the noticeable grey hairs of age, were the four claw marks than ran down the left side (when facing him) of his face, an eye-patch covering where his right eye used to be.

He spoke loudly "ALRIGHT TRAINEES, LISTEN UP! My name is Robert Clawsheimer, former Ranger and currently the Ranger liaison for Polar City. I have been instructed to give you sorry lot the rundown on how things are going to go. First, you will be taken on an air tour of the Wilds where I will point out very important landmarks that you better memorize because it could just save your life. Second, after our little tour, you will be taken to the regulated Ranger training facility where you will be trained in the art of survival and observation which you will need if you are going to be living in the Wilds studying wild animals. Third and final note, blizzard season is right around the corner, and I mean 'could start next week' around the corner. Part of your training will be to teach you how to survive in one. I will assume you all read the pamphlet and acceptance letter and brought all the necessary materials so I will not go over them. Are there any questions?"

Such a thorough explanation left little to doubt, but the warthog did raise his hoof and when the tiger nodded at him he asked "How did you get the scar?". Everyone in the cabin tuned in on the tiger, awaiting his response.

He smiled while rubbing them nostalgically and began to explain "I had a run in with a Wild Polar bear" There was a collective sucking in of air, the knowledge of what that implied not lost on anyone. "Largest and most dangerous land predator, and I somehow managed to accidentally sneak up on one. Let's just say it wasn't happy about that. I was lucky I was faster than it at the time or I wouldn't be here today." It was also the reason he retired, but he didn't feel the need to share that. "Any other questions?" No one raised their paws this time and the tiger nodded, "Alright, let's get this show on the road! BRAYLON! We're going. Get your sorry ass in here" He yelled outside the helicopter.

"Alright, alright, calm the hell down" the cheetah pilot replied as he stepped into the pilot seat and began takeoff procedures, the bay doors shutting. "By the way, it's just me flying today. Brian called in sick"

Nodding in response to the pilot, he instructed the trainees "Everyone strap themselves in!"

Unfortunately for Jacob, the straps were very loose over his small frame. The helicopters were designed to have smaller seats in the front near the bay doors, and larger seats the further one went back into the cabin which explained why the Rhino was in the back. The seat he was sitting in, although meant for smaller mammals, was still rated for a mammal near the size of a fox. Little did Jacob know, however, that this fact would save his life.

The flight path the helicopter was taking was essentially a loop. The pilot would fly it towards the Northwest long ways out, then head east all the way towards the facility, which would cover a majority of the Wilds. After about four whole hours of flying, mostly spent by Jacob looking out the window, the pilot changed direction and opened the bay doors. Robert got up from his seat while holding on to the railing on the roof of the cabin. He walked toward the edge and began pointing out various hills, mountains, clearings and explaining their names and features unique about them to help orient Rangers in the right direction.

"The worst thing that can happen to a Ranger is to get lost. The Wilds is a huge area and if you get lost, it would take months for you to wander back to civilization. If you can survive that long that is" Robert stated. After about three more hours of pointing at things and explaining their significance, even Robert was getting bored. Then it started snowing, and Robert gave up, saying "Due to the low visibility, were gonna cut this tour short and just head straight to base camp. You will be given a map that has all the details I just covered and the ones we didn't so be sure to memorize it. We still got another five hours before we get there so get cozy"

The rest of the trainees acquiesced and began to get comfortable, some already falling asleep while the pilot closed the bay doors. Jacob continued to stare out the window, marveling at the world he would be exploring sometime in the future. 'I'll show them all' his mantra rang through his head as he watched the wilderness below fly by. After about two more hours of flying, things went wrong.

Suddenly, the bay doors both opened for no apparent reason, blasting everyone with cold air. The helicopter then began leaning forward going faster and faster until it started descending. Robert jumped out of his seat and ran to the cockpit as fast as he could while the trainees were starting to get nervous. 'What the hell is going on?' they collectively thought, some more angry at being awoken than others.

"BRAYLON! What the hell are you doing!" He screamed as he opened the cockpit door. His face visibly paled at what he saw. The pilot was unconscious leaning over to his right, his face lying flat on the control panel, which explains why the bay doors opened. "Oh no" Robert said out loud as he attempted to wake up the pilot. Checking his pulse, he found the cheetah did not have one which could only mean one thing. 'He had a heart attack' Robert confirmed to himself, his worst fears being realized.

The helicopter was descending fast and gaining speed. Reaching over the deceased pilot. Robert attempted to pull the helicopter back to slow the descent, but momentum would not be denied, and the helicopter was not slowing fast enough to clear the trees on the hill they were about to go over. Meanwhile, the trainees in the back were already panicking, the tree line getting closer and closer from the view of the windows.

"WE'RE GONNA CRASH!"

"WHAT'S HAPPENING!"

"THE HELL IS THE PILOT DOING!"

"WE'RE ALL GONNA DIE!" several voice all shouted at the same time. Jacob didn't speak, but was holding on to his seatbelt straps at tight as he could.

Jacob heard a loud "BRACE YOURSELVES!" from the front of the cabin where Robert went. It takes time to describe, but it all happened within seconds. The helicopter, not fully clearing the tree line, had one of its blades on the front rotor destroyed when it hit a thick tree. The imbalance caused by a missing blade caused the helicopter to wobbled where it turned slightly to the left. The helicopter was still flying forward, but it was angled slightly sideways, and the tail end rammed straight into another tree as the several blades on the back rotor were destroyed causing the helicopter to rapidly start spinning. At this point the helicopter had cleared the tree line of the large hill, but it was now wildly out of control and descending into the valley below.

At the moment the tail end of the helicopter hit the tree, Jacob had slipped out of his seatbelt, the seatbelt not tight enough to hold him in place from the force the collision. Hanging on for dear life to the seatbelt with one paw, the helicopter spun faster and faster causing wind to blow through the open bay doors muffling the sounds of chaos. Feeling that he was about to slip, unable to hold on for much longer, Jacob attempted to reach for his backpack strap, the backpack still sitting underneath his seats.

It was a decision fueled by panic and instinct, but it ultimately saved his life. Finally losing his grip, Jacob reflexively grabbed his backpack straps and both the backpack and him went flying outside of the helicopter as it fell to its bitter end. Pulling the backpack into himself, he hugged it out of reflex like a giant beanbag as he free fell towards the ground. What happened next could only be described as pure luck. As if it was perfectly timed, Jacob and his backpack crash into the top of a tree, the backpack taking the brunt of the force while cushioning Jacob's impact. Ricocheting off the top of the tree, he continued to fall crashing through the tree branches. The entire way to the ground, Jacob was using the backpack as a buffer between his body and the branches he was crashing through. Slowed down from the initial impact and the branches, Jacob, still clutching the backpack, crashed into the ground with a final *WHOOOMP*

Shell shocked from what just occurred, Jacob let go of the backpack and vomited all over the snow. 'I'm alive' he thought solemnly. All of the sudden, he felt a wave of euphoria wash over him and he began screaming "AHAHAHAHAHA, I'M ALIVE. FUCK YOU NATURE AHAHAHAHAH". His emotions on the fritz, likely from the recent traumatic experience, his euphoria washed away as fast as it came and despair settled in. 'Oh my god, we crashed. Is everyone OK?'.

Flipping his ears up, he began to listen to his surroundings hoping to find out where the helicopter crashed. Jacob's sense of direction was lost when he was thrown out, and the light was starting to dim through the clouds indicating that the sun was going down. The snowfall wasn't helping the situation either. *Crack* *Crack* *Crack* *Crack* *Boom*. Jacob heard the sound of a tree collapsing in the distance. Grabbing his backpack, which had medical supplies, Jacob took off towards it, coming to the conclusion that that is where the helicopter probably landed.

After running full speed for about two minutes, he came upon the carnage of the crash. Jacob was able to quickly to surmise what happened based on the surrounding destruction. The helicopter came down HARD and sideways judging by the indent/gaping hole from where it initially landed. It then proceeded to roll for over ten meters destroying several smaller trees due to its initial momentum before it came to a crashing stop against another large tree upside down. Several trees in its crash path had various levels of damage from where it fell through the tree line.

The blades from the rotors were all completely destroyed, pieces of them scattered around the site along with debris from the helicopter itself. Running closer to the crash, carefully avoiding scattered debris, he saw something that made him pale. 'The fuel is leaking onto the ground' he thought with a surge of unease. The fuel was leaking down the side of the helicopter forming a stream that was leading… "Oh my god" Jacob exclaimed. The fuel was flowing towards the front of the helicopter where the cockpit was, and the cockpit was sparking from damaged electrical equipment.

"Ohhhhwwww" Jacob heard a voice coming from inside the upside down cabin. Jacob spun his head to look as Max slowly limped his way to the side of the open bay door clutching a clearly broken arm. Max had blood pouring from a gash in his head where something had likely struck him during the helicopter's tumble.

Quickly, Jacob quickly screamed at him "MAX, GET AWAY FROM THE HELICOPTER!" while wildly gesticulating towards the fuel trail. Still disoriented from the crash and head injury, Max leaned out of the door and glanced over just in time to see a spark from the cockpit ignite the fuel as it rapidly traveled back to the source. Max locked eyes with Jacob, and Jacob would never forget the look of unwillingness on his face.

Speaking quickly Max said "Tell my family…" *BOOOOOOOOM* The helicopter violently exploded sending out a shockwave which knocked Jacob onto his back.

"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO" Jacob screamed in anguish. Clutching his head as tears poured down his face, Jacob began pounding the ground repeatedly, his sobs drowned out by the roaring flame that engulfed the helicopter. After around fifteen minutes of grief, Jacob felt himself go emotionally dead, the trauma too much for him to handle at the moment. He had one singular thought left: 'Got to get home'. He picked himself up, dusted himself off, and began walking passed the flaming wreckage. It was sad, but he knew that no one inside of the helicopter could have survived that explosion. He was the lone survivor.

After about thirty minutes of mindlessly walking through the woods, Jacob began to piece himself back together. 'I need to make a plan' he thought to himself wiping the salt from his fur where he had been crying. He took off his backpack and pulled out a compass, one of the items in the REQUIRED tab of the acceptance letter. He found that he had been going Southeast from the wreckage sight and he sat down on a nearby log. It was already dark out by this point and getting cold, so Jacob pulled out his flashlight and box of matches and started a small fire on a dry piece of ground where there wasn't much snow using wood that he gathered in the surrounding area.

Staring blankly into the fire, the flickering reminding him of the flaming helicopter and naturally, Max's face, he looked away before emotions could resurface. 'Now is not the time. I have to get back to civilization' Jacob thought, caging his emotions. He began to plan 'Ok, Robert said that we had about five hours before we reached the facility. That was around two hours ago, so I got three more hours as the helicopter flies before I make it to the facility. I already know what direction it's in, and I have enough food to last for a very long time if I ration'.

Jacob recognized that what would take three hours for a helicopter might take him a month and he suddenly remembered something Robert had said: "Blizzard season is right around the corner". That thought was a cold splash of reality onto Jacob's shoulders. He had read about Northern Wilds blizzards, and how they were an "off-and-on" type deal that could last up to two weeks each blizzard. During the blizzard, temperatures would drop into the negatives, and visibility would be non-existent. 'I have to hurry' he told himself, the grim situation making him depressed. He pulled out a blanket, unwilling to think anymore, and curled around the fire before going to sleep.

Putting his plan into action, Jacob had been walking for five days now east. He had encountered several wild animals who would curiously approach and sniff him recognizing that he was a rabbit, much to Jacob's fascination. 'So they are sentient but still act like their primal selves. They also can tell that I'm not a threat. How does that work?' he would often ask himself. Luckily for Jacob, none of the animals that had approached him had been predators, yet. On the morning of the sixth day, he was walking through the forest when he heard something.

Tuning his ears to the sound, he found that it sounded like paw pads pushing into the scow creating an audible *crunch*. Jacob relaxed, thinking it was just another wild animal trying to approach him. He turned toward the direction of the sound and what he saw caused him to tense up instantly. About fifty meters away, there was a wild wolf moving in his direction sniffing the air. The wolf looked up and their eyes connected, before letting out a loud howl. It didn't take a genius to figure out what that meant.

'He is calling his pack, I'm about to be hunted! Shit!' Jacob screamed internally as he began to run away from the wolf. The wolf, not wasting any time, began to give chase. Jacob weaved between the trees and jumped over several ditches that were hidden by snow. Jacob was fast, but his backpack was weighing him down, and the wolf was persistent. After about ten minutes of chasing, the wolf finally caught up to the terrified bunny and proceeded to grab Jacob's back pack with its teeth. Jacob came to a sudden halt, due to the large predator that was holding his bag, and let out a startled "EEP".

Without any hesitation, Jacob opened the special buckle and pulled the strap causing the bigger backpack to detach from the smaller one. He continued to run, leaving the confused wolf behind him trying to figure out what had happened. 'So glad I paid extra for that feature' thought Jacob as he continued on his escape. The wolf, recovering from its initial confusion, realized that the bunny had tricked it and continued his pursuit. Jacob, his load now lightened considerably, was starting to gain a lead thanks to his considerably superior agility. Hope began to blossom as he thought about how he would escape.

Jacob heard a low growl come from his left which caused his fur to stand on end. Instinctively, he jumped straight up dodging a killing bite from another wolf that was waiting in ambush behind a bush. The wolf sailed under the bunny before slipping when it tried to turn around. Landing on his feet Jacob continued his escape, mortified at how close he had been to dying. Terror filled his system as he had a very disturbing thought 'They are toying with me. They are leading me to more of their pack'. Sure enough, he heard a howl coming straight from his front and quickly changed direction using his superior agility by jumping to the right just as another wolf lunged at his previous position.

There were now three different wolves chasing him, and he began to feel true despair. 'no, no, No, NO, NOT LIKE THIS. THIS IS NOT HOW I GO DOWN' he thought in fear. His mind was at the precipice, the edge of sanity one reaches when facing a life and death situation. Memories flew through his mind, which was working at a million miles an hour. His whole life flashed before his eyes and he had a sad thought 'There's not enough. I haven't had a chance to accomplish anything yet. I haven't had a chance to prove everyone wrong. If anything, me dying here will prove everyone right'

He began to imagine what the news would say about his death, what all the people he encountered would think, what his family would think. What his mom…'. That was the tipping point for Jacob, the thought of his mother hearing the news of his death and crying. He began to cry openly, a lump of regret forming in his throat as he ran. He truly did not want to accept this, and if he could see himself in the mirror he would recognize that he had that same look of unwillingness that Max had before he died. In his absolute desperation, he began to cry out "HELP ME!" as he ran even knowing that there was almost zero chance of there being anyone to help him. "SOMEBODY PLEASE HELP!" he yelled again. Jacob looked back to see the three wolves closing in around twenty meters away. His despair returning full blast as he recalled the dream he had on the train, he screamed/sobbed as loudly as he could "OH MY GOD, SOMEONE! ANYONE! H-HELP ME! AHHHHH!".

"WHERE ARE YOU!?" Jacob heard in reply.

'OH MY GOD THERE IS ACTUALLY SOMEONE' he mentally rejoiced, his despair turning back into hope. 'ITS GOT TO BE A RANGER, IM SAVED'. He knew that rangers carried special weapons specifically designed to incapacitate mammals without hurting them. He shouted in reply "OH THANK HEAVENS! P-PLEASE HELP!" A loud howl resounded through the forest, signaling the arrival of more of the pack. A couple of soul destroying seconds went by before Jacob heard

"COME THIS WAY QUICK, OVER THE HILL". Jacob looked to the direction of the voice and saw that there was indeed a hill. He changed directions and proceeded in its direction. The wolves changed directions too, course correcting to continue their hunt. Jacob ran over the hill, quickly coming to the crest where he saw the mammal that had been shouting at him. Relief at finding someone overshadowing everything else, Jacob proceeded to run towards him at full speed. Just before he reached the mammal, he jumped five feet in the air in order to give him a flying hug, his tears blinding him from everything else.

Hugging his savior, he spoke as fast as he could "Oh my god, I am so glad I found a Ranger, I thought I was a goner. We have to run quick! I am being hunted by a pack of wolves. Do you have any stun darts on you?", the stun darts referring to the special weaponry that rangers use. Jacob's ears flipped up in his excitement and slapped the mammal in the face. Feeling paws(?) grasp under his arms, the mammal pulled Jacob off and held him out in front of him and for the first time saw what his savior looked like. Jacob opened his mouth in shock, for what was holding him was a mammal he had never seen before.

The mammal had a furless face with pink skin. Its eyes, which were looking back at Jacob in shock, had two different colors, its (referring to the "strange mammal") right eye was green like an emerald while his left one was deep blue like a sapphire. The fur(?) on its head was straight and had a reddish-brown color, but it didn't look exactly like fur to Jacob. Jacob took a quick note of the strange mammal's attire and realized that he definitely was not a ranger.

The mammal was wearing a dark blue hoody that had three holes in it and a pair of regular blue jeans. It was also wearing some kind of shoes on its paws(?). The strange mammal's clothes also looked very dirty, as if he had been living out here for a long time and hadn't washed them once. Jacob didn't know what to say next, but luckily he didn't have too as the three wolves that were chasing him began to howl.

The strange mammal shouted "Time to go!" before putting a confused Jacob on his back and told Jacob "Hold on!" before he started to run. Jacob grabbed hold of his savior's fur(?) at the top of his head and held on for dear life as he looked back and saw the three wolves chasing them. Jacob, no longer in control of where they were going, began to look around as he held on to his savior's head. The strange mammal was ducking and weaving through the trees as fast as he could, trying to gain distance, but to no avail. The wolves were gaining.

The strange mammal swiveled his head left and right and they both thought the same thing when they noticed the wolves in the distance.

'They are going to block our escape. They are going to surround us'

The strange mammal changed his direction, jumping over a stream and heading towards a dead tree. Jacob picked up on what he was trying to do. 'He is going to try to climb the tree' Jacob thought with hesitation, not because it was a bad idea, but the lowest branch seemed too high to grab. As the strange mammal headed towards the tree, Jacob began alternating looking between the tree and the wolves behind them praying silently that they would make it to the tree first. Just as the strange mammal made it to the tree, Jacob noticed that the wolves were literally two feet behind them both.

The strange mammal jumped full speed and pushed off the trunk of the tree propelling them upwards before just barely grabbing the lowest hanging branch. Jacob would have been impressed, had he not lost his grip on the fur(?) of the strange mammal's head due to the fast movement. As Jacob fell off his savior's shoulders he mentally screamed 'NOOOO!' while he physically screamed "AHHHHHHHH!". As he fell, he saw his doom in the jaws of the three wolves snapping below before a strong paw(?) grasped his shoulder strap on his backpack.

'The strange mammal saved my life! Again!' thought Jacob as the strange mammal proceeded to put Jacob back on his back before stating

"Hold on!" to which Jacob complied. The strange mammal then pulled them both onto the branch before setting Jacob down onto an adjacent branch. Nose twitching furiously from all the excitement, he looked down at the wolves before staring at the mammal who had just saved him. The strange mammal looked down at the wolves before turning to face Jacob. Then, to Jacob's surprise, the strange mammal began to giggle, which got louder and louder until it was full blown laughter. Jacob continued to stare in confusion at the strange mammal before the strange mammal turned to him and spoke "So…rough day huh?".

Meanwhile in Bunnyburrow (Same Time)

"Chester! Stop pulling your sisters ears!" scolded Bonnie Hopps to one of her toddlers as the toddler kept trying to grab his littermate's ears. "That is not a polite thing to do" she chastised in a motherly tone. "Now run along and leave your poor sister alone" she finished. The toddler, shoulders slumped, waddled away properly chastised.

"Mom, you need to see this!" A teenaged female bunnies voice resounded through the burrow. Bonnie walked into the living room where they had a nice TV system set up with a comfortable blue couch placed in the middle. Sitting on the couch was a chocolate colored female bunny who was waving over to her mom as she walked in. "Look" the teenaged bunny said to her mom as she pointed at the TV. The station was on ZNN and the familiar Moose Anchorman was talking while pictures of what looked like a horrible helicopter crash flashed on screen.

Bonnie Hopps had a bad feeling as she began to listen to the news.

"…Never arriving at the training facility, the helicopter containing the last Ranger trainee group of the year was discovered four days later by airborne search and rescue vehicles. The aircraft appeared to have lost control and crashed into trees before ending up in the position you see here" An image floated front and center showing the burnt aftermath of the wreckage.

Bonnie had a horrible premonition. The news continued "Search parties, who found the wreckage during their search by going through the mission's original flight path over the Northern Wilds, immediately called first responders to see if there were any survivors. Unfortunately, of the ten original passengers, nine have had their bodies identified and the tenth is still missing. Here are the nine mammals confirmed dead" two rows of five pictures containing the nine people Jacob had been flying with flashed on screen. "Here is the tenth and final mammal who is still missing". A picture of Jacob flashed on screen. Bonnie fainted.

* * *

 **A/N Any typos or blatant grammatical mistakes, just leave a comment**


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: How about that Super Bowl huh?**

* * *

Chapter 4: Alpha

John was rubbing his eyes with his hands, as if doing so would change what he was seeing. Looking back up to his "acquaintance" sitting on the adjacent branch, he thought glumly 'Nope, it's still a rabbit' before putting his face back in his hands, continuing to massage his eyes. Sadly, he knew from experience that drugs did nothing to him unlike with other people. John never could get high, and he discovered that it took an obscene amount of alcohol to get himself even slightly buzzed. Even then, it would wear off right away due to his body fighting off any "foreign" influences, even when he wished he could sometimes drink his problems away.

'Like right now' he thought to himself. No, John knew he wasn't being influenced by anything at the moment, and what he was seeing was the truth. Certain thoughts/theories ran through his head 'Wait, maybe my whole life was a dream, or maybe I did drown and I'm in some kind of purgatory'. Before he could have a complete existential crisis, his acquaintance on the adjacent branch cleared his throat audibly, snapping John's attention back to reality.

"Excuse me, um, sir, I don't mean to sound offensive, but what are you?" the rabbit asked him.

John looked at the rabbit for a couple of seconds in confusion before asking "What?". The rabbit's ears folded behind its head and he played with his paws sheepishly as if he thought the question offended John.

He quickly spoke again "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to offend you, especially considering that you basically saved my tail, but I have never seen a mammal like you before…"

John quietly considered what the rabbit was implying with that statement and he had his own thoughts 'Well, I have never seen a talking bunny before so…yea'. Considering his next question carefully, he asked the rabbit "Look, um, rabbit"

"Names Jacob" the rabbit interrupted.

"Right, Jacob, ok, um… I don't mean to sound offensive but…" John repeated what the rabbit said earlier in the same tone "How are you able to talk?". Now it was the rabbi-ER, "Jacob's" turn to look at him with confusion.

Slowly Jacob responded, "What do you mean? All rabbits can talk"

Feeling that the statement he had just heard opened the door to wayyyyy too many more questions, John decided on another route of questioning. "Oh, ok then" he replied simply, as if the rabbit's response answered all of his questions. John continued "Do you happened to know where we are?"

Jacob quickly responded "Oh yea! We are currently in the Northern Wilds", his face lighting up at such a "simple" question. John thought for a moment, trying to remember if had heard of such a place before.

After thinking for a couple of seconds John responded "Is that in Canada or something?"

Jacob replied with a puzzled face "What is Canada?". John was getting frustrated, the first "person" he had met in around a month happened to be a talking bunny, one that had just asked him what Canada was.

'The fuck is this shit!' John summed up in his head. Not letting his frustration show on his face, he tried to backtrack "Ok scratch that, what CONTINENT are we on?"

Jacob gave him a look and responded "This is the continent of Animalia, and the only other continent is the Outback". John was getting a headache, all his supposedly simple questions leading to thousands more. Seeing the frustration on John's face, the rabbit pulled out his phone while swiping through to find something. John didn't have time to even register that the rabbit was using a phone before the rabbit held the phone to him.

"This is Animalia, and the huge island off to the southeast is known as the Outback" stated Jacob. John took the phone and looked at it.

"Zoogle Earth" he spoke quietly, drawing similarities to a familiar app back home. He then looked at the image of the "Earth" and his eyes widened in shock. Instead of the normal seven continents he was used too, there was only a single, Pangea-like supercontinent in the front of the screen with a much smaller (still huge) Island off to the southeast of said continent. Animalia looked like any other continent with mountain ranges, lakes, rivers, etc. There appeared to be a large desert in the southern central portion while everything up north passed a certain point was white. The rest was varying shades of green indicating different types of forests.

John quickly spun the "Earth" and realized that there really were only two continents, the rest was ocean. The rabbit leaned over and pointed at the screen saying "We are somewhere around this area" as he zoomed into the northern most portion of the continent. John looked above the area that Jacob was pointing at and saw the body of water he likely swam out of was labeled the "Northern Ocean" which explained to him why it was so damn cold. He noticed that the east, west, and south all had oceans of their own as well when he zoomed back out. Handing the phone back to Jacob in a daze, he recalled that everything went wrong when he was thrown into the Pacific by those two thugs. John started to theorize in his head.

'Ok, assuming everything I have been told by the talking bunny is true, what am I going to do about it?'

Jacob recalled the vertigo feeling he had felt when he was sinking down into the ocean, as if up and down switched. Going off a hunch, which was starting to sound more and more plausible, that vertigo moment is where he "crossed over" to this place. Not that John was stupid, but he decided to ignore all the possible scientific ramifications his hunch was implying.

'Not going to even start to even try to understand how the hell something like this could have happened. Not going to solve my current problems. Speaking of which…' John looked down at the wolves. Night time having arrived not long ago, John could just barely see that there were five wolves laying down in a circle around the tree. The rest were probably off hunting while these wolves stood guard to prevent the tree's inhabitants from escaping.

John looked at Jacob, who was still staring at John with an interested, albeit tired look. Suddenly, John felt exhausted himself, the knowledge that he was not in a place he understood weighing down on his mind. He quickly undid his belt and fastened it around his legs and the tree branch legs to prevent himself from falling while he slept. Content to leave thinking about anything till tomorrow, he glanced over at the bunny who was watching John's every movement with interest. A sudden thought passed through John's head, and he proceeded to pick the bunny up by his collar before stuffing him into the front of his hoody where just his head was poking out.

Jacob let out a startled "What the hell are you doing!?" as he was stuffed into the strange mammal's hoody.

John quickly spoke in an authoritative tone "Ok listen up bunny because I'm only going to say this once. I'm cold, I'm tired, I'm hungry, and because of you I can't start a fire to keep me warm while I sleep. Whether you like it or not, you are going to be sleeping in my hoody because you are warm. Just think of it as a payment for me saving your cotton tail." Jacob started to protest, but then thought better of it. Besides, Jacob had to admit, the strange mammal was incredibly warm as well and since Jacob lost all his gear that was in his larger backpack, he was cold.

John pulled his arms in from his hoody and hugged the bunny, who let out a startled "EEP" at the contact which John purposefully ignored, and got as comfortable as he could before closing his eyes.

'So soft and warm' John thought as he drifted off to sleep. Jacob would never openly admit it, but he felt safe and warm inside the strange mammal's hoody, despite the weird "other mammal" smell that permeated throughout it. Closing his eyes, Jacob clutched the strange mammal's plain white tee with his paws and snuggled against him to trap the heat. Jacob thought about the ridiculous situation he was in and stifled a chuckle before falling asleep snuggled into the strange mammal's torso.

They both woke to the sound of a loud howl in the distance. John rubbed the sleep out of his eyes while he sat up feeling incredibly stiff. Jacob poked his head out of the top of John's hoody and his head came to rest underneath John's chin, his large ears poking through and coming to attention at each side of John's face, all while asking "What's going on?". John could tell that from the front it probably looked adorable, but he didn't dwell on it as he looked into the distance and saw a group of six wolves approaching the five still underneath the tree.

Three of the wolves had what looked like arctic hairs in their mouths while blood trickled down their muzzles, the signs of a successful hunt. John felt Jacob a shiver inside his hoody and he pitied that a bunny had to witness the slaughter of a cousin of his. John absentmindedly began to rub the bunny's head to calm him down when a thought struck him. John began to make some connections in his mind: 'Wait, if he is dressed like this, then he must have come from someplace civilized. Not like he can make camo gear and a backpack out in the wild. What is a "civilized" bunny doing out here?'

Thinking about how he would approach the question, he paused for a moment before asking "So, um, Jacob, where are you from? Why did I find you being chased by wild wolves out here in the middle of nowhere?". Jacob was so focused on the arriving wolves, he completely missed the question he was asked. "Hey" John nudged the bunny with his hand.

"Oh sorry, what was that?" Jacob replied embarrassed.

John asked the same question again and Jacob responded "Oh yea, I, um, was supposed to be heading to the Ranger training facility which is located in the far east of the Wilds, but our helicopter crashed…" his face darkened before he continued "I was the only survivor". John could feel the pain and sadness in the bunny's voice.

Waiting a couple of seconds to formulate a meaningful response, he replied "Well, that sucks".

Jacob scoffed at John's reply before stating, "That is a gross understatement".

Trying to change the subject, John asked another question "When you found me you said something about you being glad I was a ranger… what were you talking about?

Jacob replied, his mood improving at the thought of his dream occupation, "Rangers are awesome mammals who explore the Northern Wilds while examining and documenting wildlife for research purposes. They are part of an ongoing research effort to understand the evolved mammals today by watching those same mammals live in a totally wild environment. I am going to be the first rabbit ranger…" Jacob paused and his bright look turned back into sorrow "Or at least I was. I don't think we are going to survive this" he said gesturing to the wolves below.

Ignoring the depression filled vibes radiating off the bunny, John's mind replayed something Jacob said over and over. 'Mammals' repeated Jacob in his head, hoping that it didn't imply what he thought it did. "So Jacob, when you say 'mammals', are you referring to other talking bunnies or…? John replied, purposely drawing out the question in hopes that Jacob would fill the rest in for him.

"AHAHAHAHA" Jacob laughed at what John said leading to a confused looking John. "If only" he continued. "But seriously", said Jacob after calming down, "I am referring too all kinds of different mammals. Like I said, mammals study wild mammals in efforts to better understand the same mammals". Jacob continued talking, the same enthusiasm returning, "With their research, they have discovered many fascinating things about the mammals out here. For one, they act like their primal selves did thousands of years ago, but they are clearly sentient. Despite being out in the wild, they are able to speak words, although only basic ones. They have the ability to learn how to read and write, and some have even been brought back to civilization.

Even more interesting is how the ones that were brought back to civilization always want to return back to the wilds, despite everything they learn. Because of this, a giant fence has been built along the border to the Wilds preventing civilized mammals and wild mammals from ever coming into contact" finished Jacob, sucking in air after that long winded explanation.

John began to digest what he heard, rubbing his temples while replying "So what you are telling me is that those wolves down there" he pointed at the six wolves who had almost arrived back at their tree still carrying their kills, "Are sentient" he finished with a look that said "I'm not buying it".

Grimacing, Jacob replied, eyeing the dead hares in the wolves' mouths, "Although it doesn't seem like it, they are. Predators in civilized Animalia don't eat prey anymore. The only place this still occurs is in the Northern Wilds which is why the fence was built to prevent wild predators from attacking citizens. The Northern Wilds is essentially an unregulated, unsettled wilderness."

'Man this bunny can talk' thought John as Jacob gave another lengthy explanation. Unknown to John, this was just a way for Jacob to distract himself from the futility of their current circumstances. "So I am correct in assuming from what you said that there are other talking animals?" John asked the bunny in a flat tone.

Confused by such a strange question (at least to Jacob), he responded "Yes" slowly. Suddenly, John and Jacob heard commotion below them as the six wolves leisurely arrived back. The light from the morning sun allowed John and Jacob to observe what was transpiring.

"Hey, pull me out of here" Jacob said to John who was watching the wolves with interest. "I can't see from this angle". John proceeded to pull the bunny out of his hoody and set him on the nearby branch, before continuing to watch the wolves. The six wolves arrived and were greeted by the low whines and playful snarls as the six merged with the five surrounding the tree. The three wolves carrying the dead hares dropped them in the center of a circle the wolves had formed. John could tell all the wolves eyes were on the three meals that sat in front of them and he noticed that the majority of the wolves were skinny enough to where he could see their ribs.

'Man, they must not be very successful' thought John, intrigued by the way the wolves were surrounding the meal almost ritualistically. Two larger wolves, who John noticed looked less skinny than the others, moved in towards the meal as the surrounding wolves watched solemnly.

As the largest wolf passed by, a wolf with a darker grey fur coloration and a mangled left ear, the wolves lowered their stances and tucked their tails in between their legs in a sign of submission all while speaking "Alpha" in acknowledgement. John felt like smashing his face into the tree.

'The wolves are SPEAKING' he cried mentally. To John, this was proof that everything the rabbit had told him was true. A truth that John really didn't want to accept despite already getting friendly with a talking bunny. He wasn't in Kansas anymore.

The Alpha went up to and began to eat one of the three dead hares. Jacob had the urge to vomit, imagining himself as one of those hares. Darker emotions began to fall over his mind as he watched with upmost attention. It was like one of those videos of horrible accidents that one couldn't stop watching when they started. Jacob just couldn't look away as the wolf ate his meal. John on the other hand, was unfazed by what he was seeing. Having worked in a local butcher's shop during one summer, he was no stranger to blood and gore.

He instead was examining the reactions of the other wolves. Eyes were windows to the soul, and John could swear he could see the emotions in the eyes of the wolfs as the Alpha male and female ate their portions first. There was anger, jealousy, resentment, but also acceptance of the situation. That all changed when the two Alpha wolves finished their portion. At the drop of a hat, all the previous emotions in the wolves' eyes vanished and were replaced by one that was very relatable, hunger.

They all charged towards what was left of the three hares and began fighting over the scraps as they formed a kind of chaotic pecking order based on their position in the pack. John heard Jacob vomit nearby off the tree as saw the carnage unfold before asking with pity "You alright rabbit?"

"Yea, I should have been prepared to see this, but actually seeing mammals eat other mammals is just…I don't know what it is" Jacob replied looking visibly ill.

"Nature" John finished for him. Jacob looked up at John with a look of anger and replied while raising his voice "YEA, well nature sucks. How could they act so savagely to those mammals. It's just sick!"

John gave him a quizzical look before replying, "Bunny…what did you expect to see out here in the wild? Did you think it would be the same as where you came from?". Jacob looked away with a face of shock.

'What did I expect coming out here?'. Jacob began to do some soul-searching as he thought about John's question. He had always wanted to be a Ranger, but he never truly considered everything he would possibly witness out here in the Wilds. Jacob had over glorified the position of Ranger in his mind, leading to him being willfully ignorant about certain aspects of reality. As John saw the bunnies crushed look, he felt awkward, not intending to make the bunny question his life choices.

John breathed out a long lengthy sigh before beginning to talk "Look bunny, I can't even begin to understand what you have lived through or what you expected, but let me tell you something". Jacob looked up with the same crushed look he had before John continued "Tell me bunny, what do you see in the wolves' eyes". Jacob, perplexed from the question, looked over at the wolves, who were still fighting amongst themselves trying to get a piece. He saw that they all looked at the now torn apart hares with looks of longing and hunger as they squabbled.

Slowly, he responded "They look hungry".

"Exactly" John replied in a "matter of fact" manner.

Jacob looked towards John with a stumped look that screamed "What the hell you getting at?" before John continued "Tell me bunny, do they look happy?"

Jacob replied simply "No".

"Do they look sad?"

"No".

Do they look angry?"

"NO, WHAT IS YOUR DAMN POINT!?" Jacob snapped.

"Look bunny, judging from your clothes and what you have told me so far, you come from a civilized place where talking animals get along. If its anything like where I come from, peop…ER, mammals, who kill each other do so for the craziest reasons to mammals like you and me. Hate, anger, fear, greed, envy, etc. Am I right?" John finished.

"Yea, so what?" replied Jacob in a meek voice.

John answered "Tell me, do you see any hate in the wolves' eyes, any fear, any envy, any of the emotions that makes someone evil when they kill?"

Beginning to understand what John was getting at, Jacob replied "No".

"It's just hunger. They don't kill to take someone's money. They don't kill out of fear. They don't kill because they are angry or savage. They only kill to eat, to survive. That's nature". Jacob looked at John, then turned to look back at the quarreling wolves before feeling very moved.

'He is right. There is no evil in their actions, just the will to live' thought Jacob as he felt HIS will to live begin to soar.

Quietly, he whispered to John "Thanks" before John shrugged and said,

"Don't mention it, I only told you the truth anyhow".

"By the way…" Jacob continued only now realizing something "What is your name?".

John looked over to Jacob before slowly smiling and responding, "My name's Johnathan Miller, but my friends call me John. Nice to meet you Jacob" he said while holding out his hand.

Jacob smirked, his mood improving, before saying "Thanks for saving my life, John" and taking John's paw(?). "Even though it might have been for nothing" Jacob continued.

"Don't worry bunny, we will get through this" John replied with a smirk.

Returning his attention back to the wolves, still fighting over the scraps, John witnessed as a particular wolf, one slightly smaller than the others, dove in to try and get himself a piece of the meal. The larger Alpha, upon seeing this, ran in and sank his fangs into the scruff of the smaller wolf before driving him to the ground. The Alpha released his grip on the wolf and stood snarling over the now defenseless whimpering wolf that was laying down in surrender before him.

"Omega eat last!" The wolf Alpha snarled to the "Omega".

'Guess he is the runt of the litter' thought John as he watched the scene unfold.

"Soooo… John, not that I am doubting you or anything, but how exactly are 'we going to get through this'?" Jacob said to John, repeating what John had said earlier. John had been considering this ever since they had been trapped on the tree. There were no trees nearby to jump to, so there was really nowhere to go. The only thing that had kept them safe so far was the fact that the wolves couldn't climb trees, but the wolves weren't stupid either. At all times, there was a wolf watching their movements and the five wolves slept surrounding the tree which left no gaps to sneak or run between.

"Well", John began to respond, "Eventually we will run out of food and water, so we can't just sit tight in the tree. The wolves can rotate to get water while we will eventually die of dehydration, unless you got some water in your bag?"

"No" Jacob replied thinking about the lost expandable backpack "All I have is water purification tablets and some high calorie food bars, but the food bars are meant for mammals my size and won't do much for you". John only saw one option ahead of him.

'I'm going to have to fight our way out' John thought grimly. Being the way he was, John had a numb reaction to danger. He always downplayed potentially hazardous situations in his head, simply due to the knowledge that he would never truly be hurt. While this wasn't a healthy mentality, it was a logical conclusion for someone like him. That is, unless it became personal, such as when Mikey threatened his family. "Guess I have to fight them" he said aloud.

Jacob gave him a flabbergasted look and, like any sane mammal would, responded with an "Are you crazy!? Are you trying to commit suicide! What kind of mammal thinks he can take on an entire wolf pack by himself?" John smiled a very toothy smile while taking off his backpack before replying "A crazy human, hold this and sit tight bunny!" before unsheathing his claws, to the horror of the bunny, and jumping off the tree.

The reaction was instantaneous. The wolf watching them only had time to growl warningly before John landed on the ground with an audible *Whoomp*. John landed in a crouching position, his claws up in a boxer's stance prepared for a fight. The wolves quickly surrounded him in a half circle with John's back facing the tree. John knew from the start this wasn't a fight that he was going to win. 'I only have to outlast them' thought John as he mentally braced himself for the pain he undoubtedly knew was coming.

Figuring that if he could slowly wear them down, maybe kill a few, then they would back off. John knew that for every scratch/stab/hit he got in, he was going to receive ten times more in return, but he could take it. Meanwhile, Jacob, still shocked by the claws he had just seen, was panicking internally, his mind crowded with many different thoughts:

'Holy shit, those are the biggest claws I have ever seen on any mammal. What did he say? He was a human? He/They must be a predator(s); No prey would need claws like that. Is he insane? He is so going to die, that idiot'.

Jacob looked back down at John and the surrounding wolves, determined to watch how it would all end. Looking back and forth between the wolves and John, Jacob thought to himself 'He's doomed'.

John eyed all the wolves surrounding him. The five that surrounded the tree forming a tight semi-circle while the other six stood further back in a looser semi-circle watching the "strange mammal". The wolves did not know what he was, but they honestly did not care. He looked tasty. That being said, the wolves were eyeing John's claws with a bit of nervousness. They understood the damage claws of that size could do. Unfortunately for John, his claws did not make up for an 11 vs. 1 difference.

John glanced at the Alpha in the back, who was eyeing him casually, almost bored-like. Almost feeling insulted by the disregard of the Alpha, John was about to taunt him, before the Alpha spoke in a gruff voice "Kill!". Instantly, the five wolves surrounding him charged, each aiming for a different limb while the fifth stood slightly back, likely waiting for an opening to inflict a killing blow. John was left reeling, not prepared for the speed and coordination the wolves were showing.

One wolf on John's right and one on his left bit down on both his legs with great force, easily breaking through the jeans and sinking their teeth into his calves. John cursed and screamed loudly before attempting to stab down with his claws into their heads, two other wolves, one on each side, stopped him by jumping and snapping down on his forearm and triceps breaking through the thin layer of the hoody. The weight of the wolves biting on his arms pulled him to the ground and then it became gruesome.

John, now on the ground, was subjected to the wolves thrashing while holding his limbs, not only tearing more into more of his flesh, but also restricting John's movements. It was a standard wolf takedown, go for each of the limbs and save one wolf for a killing bite all while maiming their prey. John was screaming and cursing in incredible pain and he was very quickly becoming enraged. Blood was pumping, adrenaline was flowing, and he was ready to fight back.

As they struggled on the ground, the fifth wolf decided now was the time to strike. It jumped over John's front towards his neck and John quickly reacted, bringing his right arm (wolf still attached to his bicep) in front of him. The wolf that was trying to bite his neck, only managed to bite down on his right forearm, eliciting another curse from John. 'FUCK THIS SHIT' John screamed internally. He had had enough. Using his strength, he swung his left arm in a stabbing motion towards the ribs of wolf that was on top of him and managed to stab his claws into its side.

Sadly, he wasn't able to get further than an inch into the wolf due to the wolf still clamped on his left forearm. The wolf that got stabbed yelped before jumping away and fleeing to the surrounding six wolves' place. Like clockwork, another wolf jumped into the fray to take up the spot of the injured wolf. The Alpha female went over to the wolf and began licking its wounds. John witnessed the whole thing, since it happened in a split second. 'They are tag teaming!' he thought to himself. Perhaps the only coherent thought he was having due to his current suffering.

John really began to fight back. As fast as a viper, he muscled his right hand towards the face of the wolf holding his left forearm before clawing the side of its muzzle. The wolf yelped and let go, freeing his left arm with which he slashed the wolf holding his left leg along the back which promptly released said leg. 'Two down…' he thought to himself as he swung his left arm across his body to try and slash at the wolf holding his right arm. Seeing that they lost the advantage, both remaining wolves willingly let go and retreated back into the semi-circle.

John was free, and he quickly stood up facing the wolves that had just assaulted him. He roared at them, venting all his previous suffering into an angry shout. The wolves took up positions again, ready to go for round two. They watched as the strange creature took up the same stance he did before, not looking the least bit fazed by the mauling he just went through. John took off his now torn hoody, the sleeves ripped by the wolves and the front clawed through from the wolf that had landed on top of him. He tossed it to the side, and turned back to face the wolves, who were not looking at him with eyes of shock.

The "strange mammal" was perfectly fine. There was blood on his arms from where he was bitten, but the bite and thrash wounds were gone, as if he wasn't even attacked in the first place. To the wolves, this was completely befuddling. 'Why isn't creature injured?' they collectively thought to themselves. Then they heard something even more strange, the "creature" started to laugh at them.

"Ahahahaha, is that all you've got, cause I could do this all day!" John said as he smiled and brought his claws down to his sides. The wolves had a very limited vocabulary, but they could clearly understand the tone John was using and it was pissing them off. He was taunting them. The Alpha wolf snarled menacingly at John before repeating his original order.

"Kill!" he said while growling. The wolves began their second assault, using the same tactic again. John, however, was more prepared this time and he took a step to his right before raising his leg back and swinging it forward right into the underside of the right wolf's muzzle like a football. Beaten senseless from the kick, the wolf was knocked onto his back where it struggled to stand. By this point, the other four wolves had arrived and two proceeded to bite his left arm and leg while the third went for his right arm. The absence of a wolf biting his right leg allowed John to keep from falling over, which allowed him some control.

Trying to prevent the third wolf from biting his arm, he raised it above his head, so the third wolf ended up clamping its teeth around John's midsection, eliciting another curse from John. John, his right arm free, swung it around and sliced the wolf holding his left arm along its flank causing it to let go. That was when the fourth wolf struck. Since John had turned his body to the left, he exposed the side of his neck which was unprotected due to him going after the wolf on his left arm. The fourth wolf jumped and clamped its jaws around the meat of his neck while simultaneously knocking John down.

John roared in pain as he crashed to the ground, wolf still tearing at his neck. The other wolves attacking John backed off thinking it was over. From the wolves' point of view, that was it, the creature was killed, the neck being the universal weakness for all mammals. That was until the creature stood back up, retracted its claws, put both hands in the mouth of the wolf still hanging on his neck, pulled the wolf's mouth apart, grabbed it by the scruff, and threw the wolf back at the other wolves where it landed with a thud on the ground.

This action led to the stunned silence of all the wolves present. Even the Alphas had "speechless" looks.

'Creature doesn't die'

'Strong'

'Can't kill'

All the wolves having similar thoughts of how they couldn't seem to end one mammal. John felt something stir inside of him, something hot and primal. This new feeling was why he didn't just outright kill the wolf with his claws when it clamped down on his neck and instead opted for a show of force. He was having fun, but it was more than that. He was showing dominance, absolute unshakable dominance and the euphoria it caused was making him drunk. Despite all the previous pain, he was having FUN!

"AHAHAHAHAHAHA, IS THIS ALL YOU CAN DO, I'M DISAPPOINTED, YOU ALL FAIL AS WOLVES!" John roared at the wolves. He smashed his chest in outright provocation as he faced down the wolves who were now eyeing him with dread, his overbearing display showing no fear or exhaustion.

The Alpha was utterly enraged at the provocation, and for the last time he roared out a command "All kill!". There was a moment of pause at the command, but then the floodgates opened, every single wolf with the exception of the two Alphas charged at John. John didn't even bother unsheathing his claws again, the euphoria affecting his thinking.

'I'm gonna beat them into submission' he though excitedly. And that's what he did. For the next fifteen minutes, he wrestled, punched, beat, and kicked each wolf as much as he could. To say he was torn apart in the process would be short-changing it, but he healed from every bite and scratch that was inflicted on him. The injuries no longer really hurt, as the euphoric feeling of dominance mixed with adrenaline meant he barely felt each injury, and it's not like he would feel them later anyway. During the tussle, he occasionally would glance at the Alpha, who was still standing by watching the wolves fight.

'What kind of Alpha doesn't fight? Isn't that his job? He must be the Alpha only because he is the biggest. What a bastard' John thought to himself as he grappled one wolf to the ground while being bitten countless times. Eventually, the wolves became tired and one by one they began to back off of John. John had gotten many hits in, bruising many different parts of many different wolves. He thought he might have even broken a few of their ribs. John was bloody all over, his plain white tee already torn to shreds long ago and his jeans, although still usable, were torn and had bite holes in many different places.

Despite how his clothes looked, John looked perfectly fine. He was even feeling more alive than he did before. This fact was not lost on the wolves who looked absolutely defeated. They had tried everything they could, but they still could not bring the mammal down let alone injure it. The wolves were also aware that the creature didn't even use his claws the last time, meaning it wasn't taking them seriously. They had been thoroughly convinced of their defeat, but they looked to the Alpha for directions.

The Alpha, on the other hand, was furious at, but also slightly intimidated by, the strange creature. 'How not kill?' the Alpha kept asking himself. The Alpha male turned to the Alpha female as if to ask for her opinion.

The Alpha female looked at him and spoke "Flee" to which the Alpha male snarled angrily. He did not want to flee; This was just one mammal.

John interrupted the Alpha wolves' "discussion" with a taunting voice "AWWWWW, the little Alpha", John emphasized the word 'Alpha' mockingly, "Scared of one wittle human?". The wolves couldn't understand most of what John said, but the tone, and the way he accentuated the word 'Alpha' which was a word they DID understand, made it clear to them. John was insulting the Alpha directly. The wolves turned and looked at the Alpha seeing how he would react while the Alpha glared at John with a look of utter hatred and fury. The Alpha couldn't back down now in front of the pack.

Growling menacingly, the Alpha walked forward surrounded on all sides by the rest of his brethren. John stood there, surprised that the Alpha was actually coming forward. 'Is he actually going to fight me' thought John as he just waited with his arms folded. The Alpha came to a stop about five feet from him and John got a good look at him. Aside from the mangled left ear, the wolf had multiple scars on his face and front arms that were visible even through the fur. Signs that he had fought a lot with other wolves. The wolf was constantly growling a low rumble as it watched John.

John, feeling cocky, spoke "Come here pooch, lemme show you who's boss". The Alpha's growl rose in volume a few degrees as it charged straight at John. John took a wrestler stance without unsheathing his claws, an action, or lack thereof, that only infuriated the Alpha further. The Alpha jumped right at John, mouth open, before crashing into him. They both went tumbling down, and John could now see why that the wolf was the Alpha. 'He is much bigger than the other wolves. Probably weighs around 170 lbs' thought Jacob as he wrestled with the Alpha.

As John threw the Alpha off him before rolling away, he began to laugh as he remembered his situation. He was fighting a bunch of talking wolves who wanted to eat him and a talking bunny, a bunny who came from a place where talking animals all get along. It was comical, plain and simple. The Alpha continued to run at John, who would dodge each jump/charge while getting a couple punches in each time. The wolf was big and fast, but it wasn't very agile, and John was having a much easier time fighting now that it was only 1v1.

On the Alpha's most recent attempt, John connected a hard punch right into jaw which stunned it. John proceeded the punch with a kick to its face which knocked the wolf to the ground. John, feeling empowered, bent over the stunned wolf, grabbed its scruff, picked it up, and spun it around to gain momentum before he let the wolf fly, slamming right into the base of the tree John had slept on. There was an audible crunch as the Alpha crashed into the tree, most likely from several ribs that broke from the impact. John thought that was it, and he turned back towards the wolves before yelling "Who's next".

The wolves back away in fear, letting out low whimpers and whines.

"Grrrrrrrrrrr" John heard a growl behind him and he turned back to look at the Alpha who was limping towards him.

"Stay down pooch or I will kill you" John said to the wolf, his eyes narrowing. If John was going to blame anything for the meat grinding he just went through, it was this Alpha, and John wasn't really ok with just letting it go. That being said, he didn't feel like killing any of the wolves at this point. He had already gotten his point across and he was a dog person back home so killing a wolf would leave a bad taste in his mouth. The wolf, either not understanding what John said or just not caring, leapt at John with a final roar while going for his throat.

The bit of mercy that John was feeling left his mind and he took a low stance as the wolf flew in from above. Quick as a flash, John unsheathed his claws and thrust his arms upwards, stabbing into the chest and stomach of the wolf that let out a gurgling whimper. While standing up, John raised both arms into the air lifting the wolf, which was still impaled on his claws with its blood spilling down, over his head. Turning to face the other wolves, he brought both arms down with finality, smashing the former Alpha into the ground with a low *Whoomp*.

The wolves all watched in silence and fear, seeing how easily their former Alpha had been dispatched. John retracted his claws and waited to see what the wolves would do. By this point, the wolves were no longer surrounding him. Instead, they were all huddled together a fair distance away and they seemed to be communicating to themselves while glancing fearfully at John. Seeing how they were no longer a threat, John sat down at the base of the tree, his back leaning against it. He looked up at Jacob, who had been watching the entire time.

Jacob looked like he had seen sasquatch wrestling bigfoot while riding on the back of the loch ness monster. If Jacob's jaw could drop proportional to the shock he felt from what he had witnessed, it would fall through to the other side of the planet. John laughed at Jacob's stupefied face, gaining the attention of Jacob, who had snapped out of his trance. John started, still laughing, "See, I told you we would get through this"

After about ten minutes of quietly recuperating next to the tree, John heard Jacob say "So what now?" John looked over at the wolves still huddled together while they "conversed" and glanced at him occasionally. They were not leaving as he had hoped they would so he could get Jacob off the tree.

"Sorry buddy, looks like it's not over yet and I don't want to have you down here if we fight again" John said with a sigh. Eventually, the wolves came back and surrounded him as they did the first time. The only difference was how quiet it was, they weren't making a sound. John continued to sit next to the tree, slightly confused at the wolves' behavior.

The Alpha female at the back spoke a loud "Omega!" before the smaller wolf began to approach John.

'What are they doing' thought John. He didn't feel like fighting them anymore and he honestly just wanted to get going. Slowly, the Omega approached the sitting John with its ears lowered and tail tucked in between his legs. The Omega was letting out small whines and whimpers as it flared its teeth back. All signs of complete submission.

John let out a quick "Huh?" as the wolf came closer and closer. Not sensing any threat from the wolf, John just sat there watching as the wolf came within striking distance before the wolf walked right up and sat next to John while looking at him. Jacob in the tree was watching the whole event transpire with rapt attention. After getting over the initial shock of the hares, he had been watching fascinated by the behaviors of the wolves. John on the other hand had no idea what to make of this wolf that was now acting like a friendly dog.

The wolf just kept staring at him while he sat within petting distance. 'Oh what the hell' thought John as he reached over and began to pet the wolf on the head. The wolf immediately started letting out happy whines as his tail wagged and he laid down next to John exposing his stomach. John couldn't resist and began scratching the soft fur of the wolf's belly causing its leg to jerk like all dogs do. 'This is strangely adorable' though John with a smile.

Suddenly, the wolf got up, walked right up to John, rubbed his face against his, and shouted happily "New Alpha". Like a tidal wave, the other wolves ran up to a stunned John and all started rubbing against him while licking his face and hair.

They were all chirping "New Alpha" happily. Not prepared for the sudden affection, John quickly stood up hoping that they would back off. Instead they started rubbing against his legs and trying to jump on him.

'I thought they would be mad that I killed their Alpha. What is this nonsense, calling me new Alpha? I aint a damn wolf!'. Trying to find some answers, John yelled up to Jacob, "Hey bunny! What is this?" Jacob was completely floored by what he was seeing. He had read about wild wolves and that they had rituals for selecting an Alpha. It had never been seen before in person, as it wasn't something done with other mammals around but Jacob guessed that this was a spur of the moment thing.

'It would make sense, a mammal like John who can take on a whole pack of wolves would make a good Alpha' Jacob theorized in his mind. Looking back down at John, Jacob smiled and said "I guess you're the New Alpha"

John was not amused, replying "This is serious, I need to get back home. I can't be an Alpha. I'm not even a wolf"

"Well, they don't seem to care" replied Jacob playfully as he pointed at the wolves still climbing on and around John. Suddenly, everything stopped, and John felt a shift in the atmosphere. The wolves sensed it too, and they began howling. John looked up and realized something, it was snowing, and the clouds didn't look friendly.

Jacob also noticed that it was snowing and looked up at the ominous clouds before muttering "Oh no!"

Hearing what Jacob said, John replied "Oh no what?"

"It looks like the start of a blizzard. Oh my god, we are so screwed! We have to find shelter" Jacob replied with trepidation at their dire situation.

John was not liking the sound of that, thinking 'Well shit' before he felt a tug at his torn jeans. He looked down to see the Alpha female tugging his pants before turning and walking off a distance.

The Alpha female looked back at John before speaking "Alpha come!".

John thought for a moment and said "Wait!" before all the wolves stopped at his command. He spoke to Jacob, "Hey bunny, come down from the tree. I'll catch you" to which the bunny complied falling into John's arms. Jacob handed John his backpack which John slipped on over his bare back. Thinking for a second, John had an idea. John grabbed the bunny, who began to protest, by the jacket collar then held him up to the rest of the pack before declaring with a commanding voice "MINE!"

The wolves began replying at once:

"Alpha's"

"Alpha's"

"Bunny Alpha's".

John looked at Jacob with a shit-eating grin before smugly saying "Just making sure they know that you are MY snack".

Jacob replied with a completely unamused face "Go fluff yourself" before John stuck him back on the top of his head like before. John then began to follow the wolves, seeing no other options. For around an hour, John ran as he followed the wolves through the forest jumping over ditches and wheedling his way through thick patches of trees. Eventually, they came upon a large, deep cave that was on the side of a rocky enclave. This inside of the cave was very spacious and the ground was covered in soil as opposed to rocks so it looked homey.

'So this is where they live huh?' thought John. By this point, the temperature had dropped around fifteen degrees and the snow was coming down much harder than before. The wind was also beginning to whistle and shake the trees. The wolves all entered followed by John as he also wanted to get out of the bad weather. John stood off to the side while the wolves all curled up around each other, trying to preserve warmth to survive against the oncoming blizzard.

"Hey, set me down" Jacob told to John who complied. John didn't leave his side though, as he didn't fully trust the wolves around his bunny companion. Going through his own backpack Jacob pulled out a food bar since he was hungry and hadn't eaten for a long time. Just before he closed his bag, he noticed a small black case strapped to the top corner before a realization struck him. 'Holy shit! I forgot I was recording everything!' screamed Jacob internally.

The black, waterproof, nearly indestructible case held the memory storage that the cameras were recording in the straps of his backpack. Going along his train of thought, he dug deeper into his backpack before pulling out his third camera, the one that was designed to be mounted onto a surface. It had its own little waterproof, nearly indestructible black case which was designed to be mounted next to the camera. Suddenly, Jacob had an idea, and he turned to John and spoke "Hey John, you think you can lift me up there?" while pointing to a rocky ledge that was inside the cave.

John replied with a question "Why do you need me to do that?" while looking at the item in Jacob's paws. "What is that? John continued before Jacob replied cynically

"It's a camera. If I am going to be stuck living in a wolves' den where I could possible get eaten, might as well get something out of it". Jacob had read reports and seen other videos posted by Rangers who had explored the Wilds before. While there were a lot of them, he had never seen one from the inside of a wolves' den and he thought 'Why not record this if I can? It would be a wasted opportunity not too'. John shrugged while picking Jacob up and putting him on the ledge.

"Don't worry bunny, I'll help you get home, and I wont let them eat ya" John said with sincerity. 'I already saved his life, might as well see it through' he convinced himself. "At least, after the blizzard ends" John finished.

Setting up the camera on the ledge, Jacob began talking in a depressed tone "I wish it was that easy. Blizzard season lasts three months out of the year, and this is the first blizzard. They come and go lasting up to two weeks each, and there is no way we would survive if we tried to get home and were caught out in one. In short, we are stuck here until blizzard season ends.

'You have got to be kidding me… this is such bullshit' John thought to himself in response to what Jacob had just said. 'So I am stuck in this cave for three months living with talking wolves and a talking bunny, guess my life is complete' John thought with resigned humor while putting his face in his hands.

"All done, help me down" Jacob told John as he finished setting up the camera which had a good view of everything in the cave. John helped him down and was holding Jacob in his arms when he looked to the wolfs cuddling together. On an impulse, John walked toward the center of the cuddle circle and laid down still holding Jacob, the wolves not really minding. The surrounding temperature had been steadily dropping, and John was feeling very cold.

John snuggled up to the back of a wolf, squeezing the rabbit in between them like a sandwich before thinking 'Soooo warmmmm'. The wolf's fur was slightly coarse, but it was very warm. As if on command, the other wolves piled around John forming a mass of warm moving fur which warmed John up right away. 'This isn't so bad' thought John as he started getting comfortable. Jacob on the other hand, was just silent. Having seen all that he did in the last week and a half, nothing was really shocking anymore.

'This is so crazy. Here I am being cuddled between a strange mammal and a wild wolf and I'm actually comfortable. What would mom think if she could see this…' Jacob's thoughts turned to his family, which caused him to get slightly emotional. Forcing himself to not cry, he made a silent vow in his heart: 'I swear I'll make it back home. Don't worry mom' before drifting off to sleep.

Meanwhile, 15 miles Northwest 

"SAR team four please return to Polar City, the blizzard is picking up and we won't be able to send rescuers should another copter crash"

"Copy that dispatch, were on our way home" replied the pilot into the radio.

"Man, I feel sorry for the dude, but there is no way he is gonna survive now if he hasn't already made it back to civilization. Not like we can search in a blizzard" the co-pilot stated to the pilot.

"Yea you're right. Poor son of a bitch, he has probably already been eaten or something" the pilot responded. The pilots were one of five SAR (Search and Rescue) teams who had been flying over and around the crash site looking for the missing bunny. It had been seven days already, and there still was no sign of him. They had little to no hope of finding him at this point, and it left a sad feeling in their guts. It's funny how Jacob would have been rescued if he had just waited four days near the crash site, but that was something he would never know. He wasn't in his right mind anyway when he started walking east.

"Bet his parents are gonna be so upset when they find out we were called off the search" the co-pilot mumbled sadly.

Responding with an equally somber tone, the pilot said "Yea, I bet they will be too"

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 **A/N: Any typos or blatant grammatical mistakes, just let me know**


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: I thought I would just mention that this is not a X-Men universe crossover. I have always been a fan of mutation giving people unique biological characteristics such as growing wings or developing gills. I do not believe that a genetic mutation should be able to give someone the power to control the weather, read minds, control metal, etc. That just sounds like magic to me. I just like the "wolverine" type character and imitation is the greatest form of flattery after all.**

* * *

Chapter 5: Apex

Five days. It had taken five whole days for the blizzard to end. In the meantime, the caves' strange inhabitants didn't stray too far from it only leaving the cave to answer the call of nature. At all other times, the wolves, human, and bunny were all huddled in a fluffy mass trying to preserve heat in the below zero degree temperatures. Occasionally, the wolves would play amongst themselves to pass the time, joined in by a new addition to the family.

John found he was rather enjoying himself wrestling with the wolves. Boredom was not strictly a wolf thing, and John was feeling quite stifled himself having spent a week in a cave with nothing to do. John had very quickly grown used to living with these wolves as to him it was like living with a bunch of very affectionate, very large, very aggressive, sentient dogs. 'This is too crazy to even question, so I am just gonna enjoy it' had been John's thoughts on the matter. The wolves, on the other hand, rather liked this new "Alpha" of theirs. John would wrestle with them, snuggle with them, and even "groom" them (pet and scratch their backs and bellies) which they rather enjoyed.

The only one who seemed to be taking this poorly was Jacob. Despite the wolves not making any moves on him, likely due to John's first command, his bunny instincts were always on full alert being surrounded by wild wolves meaning he couldn't relax. He never left John's side, and opted to sit comfortably in John's backpack or on John's head as John moved around the cave.

At night, John held Jacob like a teddy bear sandwiched between many wolves which Jacob admit was the only time he felt safe. It was only natural, John saving his life twice and showcasing his strength made it so Jacob felt very secure when around John. But Jacob wasn't immune to boredom either, and he would often ask John questions investigative journalist style to pass the time. This had led to many questions being answered for Jacob.

Flashback

"So John, what type of mammal did you say you were again?" asked Jacob as he sat in John's lap in the midst of the wolves which kept rubbing up on John.

"A human, at least, I think I'm human" replied John smiling as he pushed the affectionate wolves away.

Jacob was perplexed by this response, replying "What do you mean you THINK you are human? What is a human anyway? How could you not be certain of what you are?". John frowned as he contemplated on how to respond. John was not very open to discussing himself, since he didn't quite understand what he was either, but he decided it didn't matter anyway since Jacob had already seen his "peculiarities"

Sighing, John said "Look Jacob, before this gets any more confusing, I'm just going to tell you right now, I am not a 'normal' human. Now before you start asking any more questions, let me just tell you a few things right away. First off, I look like any normal human would. We come in many different builds and colors, ranging from completely black to white and everything in between. Some are tall, some are short, some big, some skinny, just like with any other animal. The only thing that is visibly different about me to other people, which is the plural for humans by the way, is my eyes. I was born with a condition called heterochromia which is why my eyes have two different colors, my right being green and my left blue. While it is an uncommon condition, it is completely natural"

John frowned as be began the second portion of his explanation: "That is where my similarities to a normal person end"

"What do you mean?" asked Jacob who had been listening attentively.

"I mean that I have two very distinct features that are not natural for people to have. One is these…" John stated while extending his evil looking claws. "And the other is this…" John continued by cutting himself a small gash on his arm. To Jacobs utter amazement, the gash closed instantly right before his eyes. There was only a small trickle of blood where the wound used to be.

"That's amazing!" exclaimed Jacob.

John chuckled at that before replying "It's not as great as you might think. Because of my ability to heal, I have lived in fear ever since I hit puberty which is when this started. Can you imagine the people who would want this 'amazing' ability for themselves? My biggest fear was, or rather still is, being captured and taken to some scary government facility to be experimented on" John shuddered at the thought, this fear being one of the reasons he hated doctors.

"So, it is essentially a double edged sword" Jacob spoke quietly after thinking for a couple of moments.

"Exactly" John replied "But the worst part of it is that I still feel pain, even when unsheathing these claws. My ability does nothing to stop that" continued John with a scowl.

Jacob asked another question "So what happened to you that caused this" Jacob said while he gestured to John's claws. John had asked himself the same question over and over, but could never figure it out.

With a frustrated sigh, John replied "I really don't know man. It literally happened overnight" John began to reminisce "When I was born, my parents told me that I had a very unique birth defect besides my eyes. They told me that the two long bones in my forearm were much more 'spaced out' then normal, leaving a larger gap in the middle of my forearms. It was strange, but the doctors told my parents that it wouldn't affect me in any noticeable way. It didn't click till later that it was probably that way for these" John pointed at his own claws before retracting them back into his forearm.

He continued "Fast forward thirteen years, I had been living my life just like any other kid, going to school, playing video games, and hanging out with friends. My parents were completely normal people and I was their normal child. Everything was nice and dandy, till one night halfway to my fourteenth birthday when everything went to shit. I remember waking up feeling crazy pain in my forearms and my cries woke my parents. They came running into my room and found me curled up with my hands on my head, these claws extended from them. Blood was everywhere from when I accidentally cut myself multiple times because I wasn't used to them. I had never seen my parents look so afraid, but it wasn't until later that I found out they weren't afraid of me, but what my condition could mean FOR me"

John recalled a rather disturbing memory that he had been trying to forget. Jacob was still listening with the utmost attention, trying to learn everything he could about John. "After that night, it was like my personality did a complete 180 according to my parents. I became an angry and aggressive little shit and began to constantly pick fights with other kids. I lost my old friends who stopped hanging out with me and I began to hang out with a bad crowd. Despite acting tough, I felt insecure knowing that there was something 'wrong' with me"

John continued "When I was eighteen, something happened. There was breaking news of a kid caught on camera FLYING with WINGS!" John began to get animated. "I was so excited, mainly due to the fact that I thought there was someone else like me out there. I took my dad's truck and went right away to visit where the kid lived to see it for myself. When I got there, however, I found that the kid had disappeared. There was no trace of him, and his parents were very distraught"

John's face darkened as he continued "When I was twenty, there was another breaking news story of a kid who had developed gills and could actually breath underwater. Doing the same thing, I went to visit, but the kid had also disappeared with no trace"

John looked Jacob in the eye before continuing. "You need to understand something about people Jacob, they fear what they don't understand, which is likely the case in this place too. The only reason I didn't end up disappearing is because my claws are retractable and my parents were the only ones who knew. That's it. Wings and gills were probably not as easy to hide as my claws, but after those two kids disappeared, I made it a point to never use them unless I had no choice. Those kids were probably kidnapped and either sold to some sick fuck or taken by the government and experimented on. The worst part is that I just don't know"

Jacob digested what he had heard, the mood turning depressing from what John had told him. He replied with sincerity "I'm sorry, didn't mean to ask you something so personal".

John laughed, breaking the depressing atmosphere "Hahaha, don't worry bunny, I have come to terms with what I am and I have learned to control my aggression. Besides, without my abilities, you and I wouldn't be here right now huh? I like to believe that there is some higher purpose for my existence, like destiny or some crap like that, but I have learned to take everything about myself in stride. If I wasn't able to, I would have gone insane years ago"

Jacob replied with another question "So… how old ARE you?"

"Twenty-four, twenty-five in four months" was John's reply.

Jacob was floored by this exclaiming "I AM OLDER THAN YOU? HOLY SHIT. Dude, I am only twenty-six"

John laughed at his surprise before continuing "Well bunny, don't expect me to call you big brother…". John and Jacob continued to talk in order to pass the time. John learned a lot about the bunny, like the fact that he has 275 siblings, that he is afraid of spiders, and more about his goal to become the first rabbit Ranger. They swapped stories of their childhoods and Jacob learned about John's ambition to become a mechanic since he loved working with his hands.

John also answered some "human anatomy" questions such as that his hands and feet were called hands and feet, not paws. John also explained that humans were all omnivores and could eat pretty much anything. According to Jacob, John learned that that fact classified him as a predator in this world. Life in the cave continued like this for five days.

Present

The blizzard was over, a foot of snow covering everything outside of the cave. Everything seemed to be ok, but there was a palpable desperation in the air: Hunger. John hadn't eaten anything for five days straight with one small exception when Jacob offered him a food bar. Jacob was doing fine, as he had enough food to last for two months if rationed. The wolves however, had gotten even skinnier and they were beginning to eye the bunny hungrily, much to Jacob's dismay. John knew that he needed to get food and fast, or else the bunny he had kept close was going to be on the menu, regardless if they considered him the "Alpha".

The thought of eating Jacob had slipped into his mind during one of his hunger pangs, but it was immediately extinguished. He now considered Jacob a friend, and he knew that he would rather eat himself than a friend of his. John had regretted considerably not bringing the body of the former Alpha with him as a source of food, but he decided that it probably wouldn't look good if he ate another wolf in the pack's presence. Considering his options, he came to the conclusion that the only way they were going to survive is if they hunted.

As if on cue, four of the wolves in the cave immediately went out into the woods sometime after the blizzard ended. Now was the only time they were going to find food, in between the blizzards. John suspected that they were searching for prey and when they found it they would call the rest of the pack. After about six hours, the four wolves returned and another four went out to search. This rotation lasted for a whole day until a loud howl resounding in the distance, one that signified prey was found.

The mood in the cave brightened considerably, all the wolves howling in reply. John knew what was coming and grabbed Jacob before putting him on his head and running out into the snow following the pack.

"Where are we going?" asked Jacob confused by the sudden change of events.

"Hunting" was John's simple reply as he chased the wolves, pushing through the thick snow. Jacob felt anxiousness rise in his stomach as he considered what John had said. He knew it was necessary, but it still made him feel nervous regardless. John, on the other hand, was excited. He was, quite literally, starving, and the prospect of a good meal of any kind filled him with renewed energy.

He chased after the wolves for almost a full hour before they finally came upon the source of the call. In a snowy clearing, there was a huge stag surrounded on four sides by growling wolves who were keeping it from running away. Almost immediately, the rest of the pack went in to help surround the cornered animal. From what John could observe, the wolves were using very effective pack tactics to keep the mammal in the circle. The stag had huge, dangerous looking antlers that could skewer any one of the wolves in one good hit.

To prevent themselves from being skewered, the wolves at its back would nip at the back legs of the stag preventing it from committing to charging out of the encirclement. This way, the stag didn't try to break out for fear of being attacked from the back if it tried. Overall, it was effective in keeping the wolves alive and the prey trapped. John came within the edge of the encirclement and paused before backing away and walking to a nearby tree. Placing Jacob on a low branch, he looked right into eyes and saw the anxiety written all over it.

Feeling he should say something, John began "You know I have to right? If I don't, not only will both the wolves and I starve, they will undoubtedly go for you despite what I say"

Jacob looked up at him with an uncertain look that was so delicate, John thought it would shatter before speaking "Yea I know".

John wasn't convinced and with a reassuring look, he continued "Just remember Jacob, I don't do this out of hate, fear, or anger. I am doing this to survive, to live. Just like these wolves. It's also for you in a sense. I just hope you don't think less of me for it. Thinking he said all he could, John began to move towards the wolves. Jacob sat there watching him leave, his emotions conflicting with his reasoning.

'I know this is the only way, but is it really?' said his emotions.

'It is. John is completely right' replied his reason.

Something that John had said popped into his mind 'It's also for you in a sense. I just hope you don't think less of me for it'. Jacob suddenly felt like the biggest asshole ever.

'John is right, if he doesn't do this, there is no way either of us can survive. We need to live in that cave, and John can't do that unless he acts like an Alpha. Those wolves will eventually eat me if they don't get food soon as well' reasoned Jacob.

Recalling how John had saved his life twice already, he thought with finality 'There is no way I could think less of them for this. He is right. There is no other way'. With newfound resolve, Jacob watched the scene unfold, determined to watch how it all played out.

Meanwhile, John walked through the encirclement of the wolves, the wolves all chirping "Alpha!" as he walked past them. Walking up to within five feet of the stag, John realized just how big it was. John was six feet four inches tall and this stag's head, minus the antlers, was right up to his chest.

It looked well fed and strong which made John sigh to himself 'This is gonna be tough'. The wolves all awaited John's command as he turned to the Alpha female and spoke "Back!" to which they spread out increasing the size of the encirclement. The stag looked at him with a look that screamed arrogance, as if John solo fighting it was an insult to its pride. 'Maybe it has fought off other wolves before. Too bad it has never met something like me' thought John while smiling.

Slowly for effect, John unsheathed his claws to the surprise of the stag. That look of arrogance changed into one of concentration as the stag began to kick the snow on the ground like a bull does before charging. It swayed its head back and forth in a display to show off its massive sharp horns. Then the stag charged, lowering its horns down like a bulldozer. John jumped to the right, just barely dodging the first attack as the stag came to a stop, turned around, and charged again.

The stag moved with unprecedented speed through the foot of snow. John, on the other hand, was struggling to move quickly, his agility, which he normally took pride in, hampered by the thick snow blanket. John didn't have time to move at the horns connected with his body, being impaled clean through in several places by the massive horns. John screamed bloody murder as he was lifted off the ground and thrown off the stag's antlers through the air and landed in the snow far away. The stag, thinking that was it, turned to face the wolves with a look of sovereignty, as if it had just beaten them all while it kicked the snow with its hooves.

"God dammit! that hurt you bastard!" the stag heard behind him. The stag had the same look of shock that the wolves had the first time they witnessed this. On the other hand, the surrounding wolves were all looking on in excitement, waiting to see their "Alpha" take down the prey. John was completely unharmed, standing in the snow with his claws extended staring back at the stag. The stag didn't wait around to figure out how it was possible and instead charged at John again, hoping to finish the job.

A plan forming in his mind, John waited till the last possible moment before the stag reached him before jumping to the right and anchoring himself into the ground with his claws. The stag roared past, but before it could turn around again, John charged towards it. The stag didn't have time to completely turn around before John reached his side and plunged both sets of claws into its midsection, all seven inches, eliciting a banshee like scream from the stag. Managing to pull out his claws, the stag bucked sending both of its rear hooves into the chest of John.

There was a sickening crack as John soared seven feet through the air and into the snow. John couldn't even scream, his sternum crushed from the kick. The stag was grievously wounded, blood pouring from the wound, an organ likely ruptured which spelled certain death for the prey. Turning slowly while panting, the stag turned to where it launched John and was very disheartened to see him standing up while coughing. John rubbed his chest thinking 'That hurt like shit' before the stag tried charging him one last time.

The stag knew that it probably wouldn't survive thanks to the stab wounds, but it was furious that it wasn't even able to injure the predator that had inflicted said wounds. With every last bit of its rapidly draining strength, the stag lowered its horns as it came upon John. John just stood his ground, knowing that this was it for the stag. Bracing himself, he grabbed the front of the horns of the charging stag before they were able to impale him and tightened his arms and legs. John was being pushed back, his feet sliding along the ground kicking up snow as the stag tried to skewer him one last time.

Eventually, the pushing stopped, the stag losing too much blood, and John had managed to hold his ground. Using his own strength, he pushed the stag back a couple of feet before slamming its face into the ground using the grip from its horns. Moving to stand over the now defeated buck, John looked into its eyes and saw acceptance before he plunged his claws into its neck, ending its life. The wolves were ecstatic. Not only did they now have a huge bounty in food, they didn't have to do anything other than corner the much larger and more dangerous prey. Their "Alpha" had taken care of the rest.

This was by far the easiest hunt they had been on in recent memory, and it filled them with pride in their strong Alpha. They swarmed over John yipping and whining happily while they licked his face and hair. John felt a surge of pride for what he had accomplished for the wolves. It was strange to him, but he liked feeling accepted and valued by the wolves for abilities that would otherwise make humans fear/envy him. John walked over to Jacob, who had been watching the entire time. With a sheepish frown, he spoke "Hey, um Jacob, you ok?"

Jacob replied with an unreadable face "Yea, I'm fine, just help me down"

John began to speak but Jacob held up a paw before cutting him off "Now look man, I know it was necessary, so you don't have to apologize". He smiled warmly before continuing "And I don't think less of you for it". Visibly relieved, John caught the bunny as he jumped from the tree and placed him on his head in the usual fashion.

"Well, time to head home" John said, not looking forward to dragging the 500-600 lb buck all the way back.

Three hours, it took three hours for the wolves and John to drag the buck all the way back to the cave. By then, the sun was already starting to go down, the days being incredibly short in the winter season. When they finally returned, John dragged the buck into the cave and the wolves surrounded it ritualistically like they did last time.

The wolves however, didn't start eating which confused John until the Alpha female came up to him and stated "Alpha eat first"

John put Jacob into his backpack telling him "You might not want to see this. It's gonna be bloody". Although Jacob was accepting of him killing the buck, even he didn't want to relive seeing the carnage that was about to happen and sat in his backpack willingly. John then went over to the buck, unsheathed one of his claws in his right hand, and began to "saw" off one of the legs. Taking fifteen minutes to completely sever a leg, he dragged it away before telling the wolves "Eat"

The wolves did not need to be told twice, and all began tearing away at the corpse. Leaving the cave, John went to get some sticks and wood to start a fire to cook the leg. Although he was hungry, he still preferred his meat cooked unlike the wolves who didn't care. Starting a small fire, John held the leg and started (attempted is more accurate) to cook the leg. The smell of cooking flesh made John's mouth water in anticipation, but it had the opposite effect on Jacob, who gagged inside his backpack.

"Sorry buddy" John said to Jacob as he focused on thoroughly cooking the leg.

"Its ok John, I can deal with just the smell" replied Jacob despite feeling nauseous. After semi-successfully cooking the leg, John began to eat and it was the tastiest meat he had ever remembered eating. He didn't know if it was the fact that he killed it himself, or if it was the fact that he was literally starving that made it taste so good.

'Maybe both' he thought to himself as he ate bite after bite of cooked meat. John sat next to the small fire, the crackles of the flame mixing with the whines, snarls, and yips of the wolves tearing at their meal, the shadows of the wolves caused by the fire dancing on along the rock walls. He watched as the Alpha female finished eating and walked toward him before laying down right next to him to bask in the warmth of the small fire. Absentmindedly, John began to pet her back eliciting a low rumble.

Pretty soon, the rest of the pack finished and, with their bellies full, all crowded around John snuggling as close as they could up to him before falling asleep. John was having an indescribable feeling at that moment. It was like being content and happy mixed with absolute comfort. He felt at absolute peace, and it was nice. Throwing the rest of the leg next to the carcass, he pulled out Jacob from the backpack, held him like a teddy bear, and snuggled right in the midst of the other wolves thinking 'Man, this really isn't so bad'.

Jacob, although feeling different emotions, was thinking the same thing 'Man, this really isn't so bad'.

The stag, despite being rather large for a buck, only lasted the eleven wolves plus John a week before there was nothing left. Conserving their energy due to blizzard season, the wolves did not try hunting when they already had a meal, so the week went by with the wolves relaxing in the cave fattening up for future dry spells. All of the wolves by this point looked well fed, even the Omega, and John couldn't even see their ribs anymore. As if it was timed, another blizzard hit when the last bit of meat that could be plucked from the buck was eaten.

Planning ahead, John had already severed another leg before stashing it on an overhang towards the back of the cave. The wolves didn't even question it since he was the Alpha, and there was plenty more to go around anyway. This was John's emergency meat. Jacob was still fine eating the food bars, but John wasn't even worried about him. Being a herbivore, Jacob could still eat grasses and wild flowers if he really had nothing left anyway. For water, they both would just eat snow or visit a small stream that was only five minutes away from the cave.

The second blizzard lasted for two weeks and two days, a record long blizzard according to Jacob. By this point, the wolves were ready to hunt again and so was John. His emergency stash of meat already eaten, he was hungry again, and like last time four wolves left the cave to search for their next prey. The search teams rotated on and off for about two days with no luck.

'I guess last time we just got lucky' thought John. That is, until the morning of the third day when a familiar loud howl resounded through the woods and everything went into motion. Just like before, John sat Jacob on his head as he chased the wolves through the woods. It seems the prey was much further away this time and it took the wolves and John two and a half hours to find the source of the howl. What John saw made him groan audibly.

'They are literally trying to kill me. It's like they are counting on my ability to be a literal punching bag' thought John with a grimace. The four wolves were using the same pack tactics to keep an enormous moose trapped in place. Unlike last time, they were not in a clearing, and there were many trees around for the wolves to duck behind if the moose charged. The moose looked like it weighed over two-thirds of a ton. Its large fan-like antlers looked dangerous, although they didn't look as sharp as the stag's.

'Not like they need to be, that thing probably has enough power to split me in half' thought John, the reality that he was about to fight a fricking giant moose settling over him. 'Why is my life so insane?' thought John in resignation. Unknown to John, this wasn't a common occurrence for the wolves. Normally, a wolf pack this size wouldn't hunt such a large prey. But the wolves were smart, and they factored in the fact that their new "Alpha" was exceptionally strong.

They didn't have a word to describe his abilities, all they knew was that it made him nearly invincible in the wild which is why they were willing to attempt to take down this large moose. Long story short, John hit the nail on the head. The wolves were counting on his ability to be a literal punching bag. Immediately upon arrival, the wolves formed a circle surrounding the moose, who was trying his best smash his way through. The cover of trees made it very difficult for the moose to land a hit, because although it was incredibly powerful, it couldn't match the wolves' quick paws.

It was between a rock and a hard place. John put Jacob on a nearby tree, said "Wish me luck" and walked right up to the encirclement.

Reaching it, the Alpha female looked up to John and asked "Alpha fight?".

John, putting his face in his hands while rubbing his eyes and wishing he was back home on his couch, responded with a confirmation "Yes, Alpha fight". The Alpha female howled a command to the wolves who spread out like they did the last time and John walked into the fray to the excited yips and growls of the surrounding wolves, who knew John was about to fight solo. The moose took notice of this, and glanced at John with the same look the stag did before, one of sheer disdain, as if a puny mammal like John fighting it was insulting.

The moose stood at John's height even on all fours, and John stared back at the moose with hesitation. He knew about his own abilities, but this moose was just so big, and John was not a masochist. It's not like he enjoyed getting pummeled by huge animals. John thought about all the injuries he had sustained recently.

'I must have taken enough damage these last three weeks to kill a hundred regular people' he thought with irritation. As the moose stared at John, John unsheathed his claws to the astonishment of the moose. The moose held no fear of this smaller mammal, but the claws on it made it become wary. John was now officially a threat, and the moose snorted while swinging its head back and forth to display its large horns in a show of dominance. John took up the trademark boxer's stance he usually took before declaring in his mind 'Fuck everything'. The fight was officially on.

Taking the initiative, the moose charged at John first, leading to John coming up with a quick plan in his head. The moose had a gap in the middle of his head where the antlers were spaced enough to fit through and John planned on sliding underneath that gap to reach its chest where he would inflict a killing blow. It was a solid plan, the moose being so big that there was indeed a gap between its horns and legs. But John had miscalculated something, these animals, even the wild ones, were much more intelligent than the animals he was used too.

Before John could act on his plan, the moose tilted his head sideways bringing its antlers to cover the perceived gap, as if the moose had anticipated John's plan. John only had time to curse "Shit!" before the antlers rammed into his legs, breaking them and lifting John off his feet. John was flung onto the ground from the collision and the moose stood right over him glaring down. The moose then quickly stood on its back legs before it attempted to bring all of its weight down onto its front hooves to crush John underneath.

John, still feeling the pain of his legs being snapped, felt panic, not really sure if even he could survive being crushed like that, and instinctively rolled out of the way of the hooves before they smashed down. Narrowly dodging the blow, he stood up quickly and drove his claws into the moose in its shoulder which elicited a deep scream from the moose, the claws only going so deep before the thick shoulder bone stopped them. That was the moose's miscalculation. It thought it broke the animal's legs on the first impact, which it did, so it was not expecting John to be able to stand.

The moose reacted out of pain, and swung its horns to its left smashing John in the chest hard enough to send him stumbling away before he could regain his balance. They stood looking at each other, John unharmed while blood was slowly leaking from the shoulder wound on the moose. John was getting real tired of exchanging blows, taking one hit so he could get one hit in himself. He wanted it to be a simple and easy kill, one that doesn't involve him getting smashed or wrecked in the process.

John backed up to a tree, another plan forming in his head when he saw a branch above him within grabbing distance, before taunting the moose "IS THAT ALL YOU GOT YOU LARGE ANTLERED FUCK!". The moose somewhat understood what John was saying, just like the wolves did, and was enraged at the provocation. Clearly, the moose had won that last exchange, but it couldn't figure out why the strange predator was standing completely fine. Regardless, it charged again, keen on ending the arrogant predator before it.

John smiled, and stood there in front of the tree taking a fighting stance. For the moose, hindsight was twenty-twenty as it should have realized that John had purposefully backed himself into a tree. At the time, it looked like John had cornered himself without realizing which made the moose elated, completely fine with crushing John against the tree. Before the moose could crush John into oblivion however, John leapt and grabbed the branch above his head before raising his body over the moose who proceeded to smash its head into the tree letting out a loud grunt. Stunned from the impact, the moose didn't have time to register John landing on its back.

With a loud triumphant roar, John plunged both sets of his claws deep into the back of the moose. The moose let loose a blood curdling whine as it bucked like a horse. Using his claws as anchors, John prevented himself from being thrown off the powerful mammal. Slowly, the moose's attempts at throwing John off were weakening and it began to heavily pant as John regained his balance on its back. Seeking to end the fight, John pulled out his right claws before impaling them right back into the moose's neck which let out a sad cry, effectively sealing its fate. John continued to ride on the back of the moose as it wobbled, slowly losing strength from its critical wounds, before it fell over in one final crash, pinning John's leg underneath it.

Squeezing his leg out from underneath the moose, John stood up and roared in triumph. John looked like a character from a "Call-of-the-Wild-man" show, ripped jeans and no shirt standing over his kill while yelling loudly. Sweat from the exertion rolling off his back despite the cold weather. John was never a huge dude, but his well-defined muscles helped him fit the "Wildman" image. Laughing out loud to himself, John felt that he was on top of the world. That is, until he realized that none of the wolves were coming to "congratulate" him on his victory.

They were all huddled about thirty feet away whimpering and letting out low whines looking past John. Before he could figure out what was wrong, John heard both Jacob from the tree and the Alpha female from the pack yell

"ALPHA FLEE!"

"JOHN RUN!"

Instantly nervous from their tones, he looked around his immediate vicinity before he heard a loud snort followed by a deep growl behind him. John didn't want to, he really didn't want to, but he turned around anyway. John, still on a high from the previous fight, found himself face to face with a massive wild polar bear. Time seemed to slow down, and John quickly recalled some "fun facts" he had read about in a camping book.

Polar bears were the largest land predators alive and could weigh nearly 1000 lbs. and unlike a moose, they were designed for killing, making them infinitely more dangerous. Time speeding back up, John considered his available options, before the polar bear decided to stand on its hind legs bringing its height up to around ten feet, looming over John like a large white mountain. Never in his life had John felt intimidated by any animal, human or not, but standing directly in front of a 1000 lb. killing machine standing at its full height, which was eyeing him and the now dead moose hungrily, John felt genuine fear rock himself to the core for the first time in forever.

John didn't even need time to consider it. 'RUN!' he screamed internally, but his body didn't respond. He was actually frozen in fear, something he was not used to. The polar bear didn't wait for John to unfreeze, as it brought one its paws down and racked its five, three inch claws across John's chest. John screamed from the excruciating stinging pain, the claws digging all the way to the bone, while stumbling backwards and falling over the body of the moose. The polar bear followed up its assault, stepping over the moose before standing over John.

With a purpose, the polar bear began digging its claws into John's front while simultaneously to biting down onto John's right shoulder crushing the bones with an incredibly strong bite force (8th most powerful bite in the world). John's mind snapped at this point, the pain from having his front mutilated and his shoulder bit through and crushed triggered something deep within John, an unshakable will to live. He didn't even register the throat ripping, agonizing scream he was making, or the cries from the wolves and Jacob at his predicament. He was silenced however, when the bear sliced its claws across John's neck, severing his vocal cords, causing him to gurgle on his own blood.

Running purely on instinct, John, bear still chewing on his shoulder, brought his left arm back and stabbed deeply upwards into the armpit of the polar bear, which roared in pain. The polar bear backed off, and John stood up still acting on autopilot. To the bear's astonishment, it could see all the bloody gashes it inflicted on John's front quickly closing. John charged the bear on pure instinct. John, reaching the point in his head where his own mind believed he was cornered, saw killing the bear was the only way to live.

Still unable to use his right arm, John held up his left arm's claws as he charged towards the polar bear. Reacting to John's charge, the polar bear stood back up on its hind paws and swung its front paw towards John's face and connected, the bear's five claws shredding across John's visage. John didn't even flinch, his eyes looking glazed over, as he ignored the blow and got within arms distance of the bear where he stabbed his left arms claws right into the bears stomach.

The polar bear roared and brought its jaws down onto Johns left side, crushing John's clavicle eliciting another shriek from John. Using its great strength, the polar bear bit further down onto John and used that grip to lift him up and toss him like a sandbag across the snow covered ground. John landed with a thud and without missing a beat, he stood right back up and charged the bear again.

The polar bear was demoralized, what would normally be enough to kill any mammal didn't seem to affect this particular creature. Just like all the other mammals, the polar bear didn't really know what John was, but this strange creature seemed to recover from its injuries and even deeply wounded the polar bear. Nevertheless, the polar bear wouldn't back down. The prospect of a free moose was too tempting for the hungry bear, and was the main reason it was fighting. It hoped to scare off the wolves by killing the leader, but that didn't seem to be happening.

John was running at the bear, his right shoulder repaired enough to where he could move his arm, although now his left arm was out of commission. The bear tried the same tactic again, swiping its paw across John's chest in an effort to stop him. John didn't even scream as he ignored the wound and sunk his right claws higher into the chest of the polar bear which let out a pained grunt. The polar bear was now officially afraid, no longer caring for the moose. No matter what it did, it could not stop this demon from hurting it.

Throwing John off, the polar bear turned to run away from him, leaving a very noticeable stream of blood from its deep wounds. John gave chase, his mind still shattered and running solely on instinct. The polar bear ran as fast as it could, much faster than what John could run, but the wounds inflicted by John were causing it to bleed heavily and it slowly began to lose strength and slow down. The polar bear turned to see the demon it had been fighting gaining on it and the polar bear had never felt so afraid in its life.

He couldn't stop it or kill it despite what he did, despite being so much bigger than it. Eventually, John caught up to the wounded polar bear before sinking his claws deep into its flank which caused the polar bear to come to a stop. Spinning on its paws, it tried one last time to injure the demon before it, swiping its paws across the stomach of John. The bear watched with fascinated horror as the creature stood their staring at it, the gashes healing at a rate visible to the naked eye. John, not waiting for any more attacks, plunged his claws into the neck of the stunned and terrified polar bear.

Pulling out his claws, blood began pouring out of the polar bears neck staining the snow red before it wobbled and crashed to the blood covered ground with a crunch. John began walking back to where he came from soaked in his own blood, mind still running on autopilot. As he looked up, he found that he didn't even need to go any further, the wolves had followed him when he began to chase the bear. Even Jacob was running alongside the wolves, determined to see if John was ok. They quickly surrounded him and watched John in silence as he stood still as a statue.

Jacob nervously asked "Are you ok…?" Before John fell face first onto the ground, unconscious.

Jacob was openly crying as he cradled John's head in his lap. Never in his life had he heard a mammal make a sound like when John was being mutilated in front of his eyes. Jacob couldn't help but feel responsible in a sense, him being part of the reason John had to hunt at all. The surrounding wolves seemed to understand that the bunny was comforting their Alpha and they moved around John nuzzling him and laying nearby determined to wait until he awoke. In the eyes of the wolves, they just witnessed their Alpha single-handedly take out a polar bear, an Apex predator.

John was effectively a god in their eyes now, his position as Alpha completely unshakable, and they felt completely content at following him for life. After some time had passed, John opened his eyes and sat up. Jacob exclaimed "OH MY GOD YOU'RE OK! Thank heavens" while the surrounding wolves chirped

"Alpha", happy that their Alpha was ok. John looked around at the happy wolves before looking at a smiling Jacob.

Slowly, John spoke with an unsteady voice "Y-Yea, I'm o… John choked up before finishing his sentence and starting sobbing, taking loud heaves for breaths. Never had John been so afraid in his life, and that fear brought up to the surface other emotions that he had been burying. Uncertainty, anger, past pain, anxiety, rejection, etc., all flooded his mind when the fear of death fell upon him. These repressed emotions were working their way out of him now.

Without words, Jacob stood up next to John and gave him a hug, which John reciprocated as he continued to shed tears. The surrounding wolves, sensing their Alpha's distress, all gathered around him, nuzzling his face and letting out comforting whines to help ease his pain. Eventually, the last of John's repressed emotions worked their way out, and John felt better than he had in a long time.

Wiping away his tear stains, John stood up and put Jacob on his head before speaking in a gravelly voice "Thanks man, I needed that"

Jacob just smiled and replied "Don't mention it, I'm just glad you're ok". In a playful voice, he added with a shit-eating grin "If you ever need another comfort bunny, you know who to call"

John responded with a laugh and proceeded to flick Jacob's ear. Looking around, John saw the body of the polar bear and remembered that they still had the moose to grab as well. Speaking his mind, John said "Well, I reckon we now have enough meat to last us till the end of blizzard season. I mean, both a giant moose and a polar bear, we are basically set. There is just one problem…" John frowned as he considered a very important fact: "How the hell are we gonna carry them both home?"

One week later, back in Bunnyburrow

The surrounding scenery was beautiful. The sky was a clear blue, a nice warm breeze flowing through the wild daisies that were growing on this particular patch of land. It was a nice day, except for the ones present at the scene. Standing around a white stone, a large number of bunnies dressed in dark clothes were standing by with sad looks, as they watched a casket being lowered into the ground. Yes, it was not to be a nice day, for it was Jacob's funeral.

A month and a week had passed since the helicopter crashed and the search was called off three weeks ago due to blizzard season. The Rangers, trying not to light any false hope, called Bonnie directly and told her that her son was most certainly dead. She had been heartbroken by the news, as was all the Hopps household. Natural death was one thing, but accidents such as these always were the worst for a household like the Hopps family.

Here they all were, standing in the Hopps private cemetery holding Jacobs funeral. Bonnie and Stu, as well as many other family members, were crying openly as they watched the casket be lowered. Even Judy Hopps, celebrity officer and hero of Zootopia, was crying silently into the side of her red furred companion who opted to come with her. Both were dressed in their police dress blues as a sign of respect to Jacob. On this rare occasion, Nick Wilde's face lacked the usual snarky mask and instead had a somber and compassionate look as he rubbed the ears of his partner. Yes, certainly, today was not to be a nice day.

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 **A/N: Any typos or blatant grammatical mistakes just let me know**


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: I had fun writing this Chapter, but the next one is going to be hard. There are so many angles at which I could take to approach it.**

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Chapter 6: Finding Home

Unfortunately, time waits for no man, or bunny, and week after week passed in the cave with much of the same, blizzards coming and going. John learned a great deal of the "new world" during this time, often discussing with Jacob when they were bored. Jacob described that Animalia had a major city-state in each biome where mammals of all types that lived naturally in those biomes (generally), congregated.

There were always exceptions in every city, but the majority of each biome city was inhabited by mammals native to that environment. On the outskirts of each city, there were separate communities where specific genus/species congregated together. For example, there was Coldton directly outside of Polar City where the majority population were polar bears, something that John shuddered at, recalling his past dealings with said mammal. He gave another example, his home in Bunnyburrow outside of Zootopia, where all kinds of bunnies lived their lives in peace and safety, usually as farmers.

Mentioning his home, Jacob would often become depressed, often leading to John scratching his ears and speaking words of encouragement.

"Don't look so sad man, we will get you home, it's only a matter of time" John would say while rubbing his companions head. Jacob didn't really mind at all, mostly because bunnies were affectionate by nature and having someone comfort him helped his mood immensely. Unfortunately, Jacob's attempts at discovering John's origin did not bear much fruit, as John didn't want to even bother trying to explain how he got here, much to Jacob's annoyance. Meanwhile, the culture in the cave had evolved into something quite unique to this world.

For one thing, a certain bunny became more comfortable walking around the cave without John at his side and the wolves even partially accepted him as one of the pack, nuzzling and playing with him occasionally. The wolves seemed to understand that the bunny was important to their Alpha, which meant he was not to be harmed. It often resulted in John laughing out loud when he watched the wolves crowed around Jacob demanding to be pet, which Jacob would nervously oblige, leading to more wolves crowding around. A very "viscous" cycle.

At this point, the wolves weren't even considering touching Jacob, mainly due to the fact that there was plenty of food available in the form of moose and polar bear meat. They were fat and happy, and content with life, looking forward to following a strong Alpha, especially after mating season when more pups would be brought into this world. A strong Alpha meant a strong pack, ergo, the pack should increase in size, and the wolves were looking forward to new family members. John was unaware of the wolves' "future plans" however, and he was struggling with something much more personal, missing home.

Mikey had been right that night on the boat, John's parents WERE struggling with money. This fact was caused by his father's failed business ventures which put his family in debt. John never held it against his dad though, because he truly loved his parents, for they accepted and protected him despite knowing about his abilities. Being the way he was, younger John, who was insensitive to danger, aggressive, and hot-headed, tried some "not so savory" methods of earning money to help his parents.

This is what led to John hanging with a bad crowd, eventually killing someone during a gang fight, an action that mentally scarred him. He turned his back on that life, but the people he had met, such as Garret, never seemed to let him go since he was good at what he did. One thing led to another and BOOM, John beats up Garret, gets kidnapped, and appears in this strange world.

John felt guilt, guilt with the knowledge that his parents were probably heartbroken that he had been missing for so long. He HAD to get home as soon as he could. John was not very ambitious, all he wanted to do at this point was finish community college so he could become a mechanic and help his parents with their debt. 'It's the least I could do for them' John thought, filled with a longing to pay his parents back for dealing with a demon child such as himself. Though, that thought was more out of humor then self-derision, John had been such a little shit during his teenage years; Remembering those "good times" causing John to smile.

Eventually, Jacob ran out of food bars, but that wasn't a problem since there were many natural alternatives for a mammal such as a bunny out in the wild. And so, life continued in relative peace. John would describe it as the most surreal experience of his life, living with talking wolves, protecting a talking bunny, and he was actually enjoying it. For once in his life, he felt a true feeling of belonging, reinforced by the actions of the wolves who were always cuddling, playing, nuzzling, and sleeping around him despite knowing about his true nature.

This made it harder for him to accept the fact that he would soon have to leave the wolves and continue his journey. He had even named them in his head: Zeus, a grey wolf with a white strip along his back that loosely resembled a lightning bolt. Hermes, a dark grey wolf that had little tufts of fur near the back of his paws that reminded John of the winged shoes that the Greek god wore. Others he just named arbitrarily after cool sounding god names such as Poseidon, Aphrodite, Ares, Hera, Athena, etc.

He named them like so, figuring that if he could ever afford a dog, he would give it a cool name such as the above mentioned. The fact that he named them was making today so much harder for John to stomach. Two months had passed since the incident with the moose and polar bear, and the last blizzard fizzled out a week ago. The weather was starting to warm up slightly, and the songs of native birds began to fill the forest, signifying the emergence of a new season.

According to Jacob, today was now the 8th of February, and it was time to head home. While Jacob was impatient to get going, John was more reluctant, which was obvious in their discussion yesterday:

"John, I think it's about time we starting heading out" Jacob started talking as they sat cozy around a fire John made. John was sitting comfortably, leaning back onto a wolf while another one was in his lap, John scratching the wolf's back to its sheer pleasure. John frowned, not responding. He started ruminating to himself. He knew that this could not last forever, and that he wanted to get home to his parents, but there was a not-so-small part of him that was reluctant to leave.

Unfortunately, that not-so-small part of him didn't out-way his desire to help Jacob and to return home himself. However, to John, it felt like he was giving up something important for something even more important, a decision that is NEVER easy to make. Being prudent, John knew that the only logical conclusion to his internal debate was that he had to leave, regardless of any internal arguments he could make, so he stopped thinking about it and decided to enjoy the last night with the wolves without any cares in the world.

"Yea, I know. We will head out tomorrow" John responded finally with a tone of reluctance. Jacob could sense John's struggle, and opted for some good humor.

"Don't act so excited man. You might wake the wolves" John simply smirked in response while Jacob continued "Besides, you are basically family now since you saved my life, and I can't wait to introduce you to MY family!"

John didn't let show how much that statement caused waves in his head, and instead responded with "Well, if you are proposing, I'll need to see a ring" eliciting a loud laugh from Jacob. Jacob's earlier statement brought about a whole new range of personal questions from John. 'How much should I get involved in this new place?' thought John while he cross-examined his situation. If the world was really like Jacob described to him, he was completely alone. Talking animals with their own governments, their own social systems, their own military, the sheer thought of being an "alien" in a world ruled by animals filled him with dread.

Humans by nature were social creatures and wanted to be with their own kind, similar to wolves. That is why people who were castaways would often commit suicide due to sheer loneliness, and John was feeling that way right now. He was the only human in this animal world, at least based on what Jacob had told him. John's only consolation was Jacob, a bunny that for all intents and purposes acted "human" to John, but he knew that he would be treated like either a monster, an alien, or a new mammal who needed to be "studied".

John hated the first two scenarios but he physically shuddered at the last one. At least back home he could pretend he was a normal human. Here he was one of a kind, which meant that he would be scrutinized far more and they would definitely discover his abilities, especially the ones related to healing which he feared most. Something that John had not realized because it never crossed his mind was that his secrets, actions, and everything he was saying was being recorded.

John never noticed the cameras on the shoulder straps of the bunny, thinking they were just part of the backpack. All he knew was that there was a camera on the ledge in the cave which led him to keep his back to it when showing his claws. This was something that would come back to bite him in the future. John would regret not emphasizing to the bunny to keep his secrets, the thought just never crossing his mind in such bizarre circumstances.

John fell asleep for that last time in the cave, surrounded by the comfort of the wolves and fire, his mind at peace preferring to leave the thinking for the next day. And now that next day was here.

Jacob woke up first, like he always did, at the crack of dawn and nudged John in the chest while whispering "Get up, and stop squeezing me!". John was still holding Jacob like a teddy bear enjoying the warmth he provided. He involuntary squeezed him when the bunny stirred, leading to that reaction. John opened his eyes slowly, the knowledge that today was the day they were to leave making him reluctant to actually wake up. Eventually, the nudges from the bunny combined with the rays of light from the sunrise allowed John to wake up fully.

Careful not to wake the slumbering wolves, John slowly extricated himself from the warm fluffy mass that had become his bed for the last few months. Still holding Jacob, he moved away towards the back of the cave where he stored his backpack. Being asked by Jacob, he lifted him up to the top of the ledge where he set up his camera then went to grab his backpack. Reaching down and beginning to unlatch the camera, Jacob became slightly emotional.

'I set this up three months ago. I can't believe we made it. I'm actually going to make it home' he thought while rubbing his eyes. Words could not describe the gratitude Jacob felt towards John. He had save his life twice, and is the sole reason Jacob was going to see his family again. There was no way Jacob could have survived through blizzard season by himself. Even a regular certified seasoned Ranger wouldn't be able to, that fact only increasing his goodwill towards John.

Jacob was also excited, he had tons of great video stored away in these black cases. He couldn't wait to upload it to his online Ranger profile when he got home. Home, he was going home! When John got back, Jacob jumped down into his arms and immediately hugged John around the neck, much to his surprise. John didn't know what to say, until Jacob spoke with a voice chock full of feeling "Thanks John, really, thank you for saving my life. I'm actually going to see my family again".

John, his statement causing John to also feel homesick, just smiled while patting his head saying

"Well, you are not quite home yet, so save your thanks until then". Putting Jacob on his head, the motion becoming almost instinctive, he walked quietly out of the cave before asking Jacob "You ready?"

"Damn right I am" responded Jacob with enthusiasm. Having Jacob check his compass, which he had kept in his pockets at all time, they both began to walk south.

It wasn't that long into their trek through the woods before the wolves caught up. John had been hoping to leave quickly enough where they wouldn't be able to track them, but the wolves caught on pretty soon after John left. Simply speaking, John hated goodbyes which is why he wanted to be long gone before the wolves found out. Upon finding their Alpha, the lead wolf howled and the rest of the pack showed up soon after. They surrounded John as if he would try to run and each of them had expressions of betrayal, like a child that thought their parents left them.

Their looks were tugging on his heartstrings, and he was suddenly finding it much harder to leave. It was remarkable to John, how he himself could have become so attached to animals, only to remember that they are not normal animals. The Alpha female walked up to him, the one he had named Hera in his mind. She bit on his ripped jeans tugging them before she released and looked up at John. John, still surrounded by wolves, crouched down and looked her in the eye, Jacob just observing quietly from his perch.

Wearing a look of uncertainty, Hera spoke like a command "Alpha come home". John frowned, unable to mask the displeasure that having to say "no" causes, before shaking his head and replying while looking her in the eyes

"Alpha leave. Alpha must go"

Hera let out a sad whine before her whine turned into an angry snarl and she bit John's arm while pulling it firmly.

"Alpha STAY!" she demanded angrily. John didn't even flinch, the pain helping to drown out other sad emotions that John didn't want to express at the moment. John just looked at Hera as she continued to bite on his arm. Eventually, she let go and licked the residual blood from the bite that had already healed.

She then proceeded to nuzzle her face against John before speaking "Alpha come home" in a sad pleading tone. This was the reason John hated goodbyes, he hated getting sentimental. The emotion he could see from Hera's eyes and the feeling in her voice were just like the emotions he could see and hear from people, and that was what was making this very hard.

John pulled Hera away from him before looking into her sad eyes and repeating "Alpha must go". Hera let out another mournful whine and John pulled her into a hug, feeling it was appropriate. Here John was, hugging a talking wolf which displayed more "human" emotion than actual humans he has met before. The irony was not lost on him, but then a sudden question forced its way into his skull, one that even today is still unanswered:

'What does it mean to be human anyway?'.

John was beginning to see something that should have disturbed him, but it really didn't. He was beginning to see these talking animals as people, human or not. Releasing the whimpering wolf from his hug, he walked over to the edge of the surrounding wolves, right up to Zeus. Zeus and the other wolves had heard the exchange between the Alpha female and their Alpha so they knew John was leaving them. Their expressions were all filled with sadness and unwillingness. He had been a good Alpha, and they had looked forward to following him, something that would never come to pass.

Placing his hand on Zeus' head, he spoke with an authoritative tone "New Alpha" to the surprise of both Zeus and the rest of the pack. Unlike when John became the Alpha, the pack instead walked up to John and began rubbing over him, reluctant to let him leave. John spoke again "New Alpha" as he pat Zeus on the head. John did not choose him arbitrarily, Zeus was the biggest wolf and friendly to the other wolves. John thought he would make a decent Alpha if given the chance, which he was doing right now.

'Besides', John thought to himself 'Zeus is the husband of Hera anyway so it makes sense'.

The wolves obeyed their old Alpha and soon began to repeat "New Alpha" as they came up to Zeus and nuzzled him in the same manner they did with John. Slowly, the wolves all backed off of Zeus and John backed up a couple of steps to give the wolves space. They began to head back to their cave, occasionally glancing back at John as he watched their departure. Before going out of sight, Zeus turned to look at John before howling as loud as he could. The rest of the pack joined in, a symphony of howling that John could only guess was a wolf way of saying goodbye.

After they howled for a solid five minutes, they went over the crest of a small hill where John lost sight of them. That was it. Three months living with a family of wolves, over, just like that. John turned around and started walking, hopefully to something better.

Jacob started "Well, that was something…"

"Jacob, just stop please. Let's just be quiet for a while" John interrupted, not in the mood to talk.

Tree after tree, rock after rock, stream after stream, John and Jacob walked for days, covering on average about twenty miles per day. Each day the weather grew warmer and the sounds of insects and birds became louder, echoing across the forest. Jacob was getting more and more excited each day, civilization coming closer and closer. John was less excited, still at a loss of what to do when he found it himself. The days were often passed with more discussions, jokes, and sometimes even songs when they were really bored.

John would often make fun of Jacob, who was always riding on his head as if John was a horse, but John didn't really mind. After all, he was like a personal head warmer which Jacob rather enjoyed since he was shirtless and often cold. After about a week of walking, John got lucky and came across a rather wide but shallow stream with some type of fish working their way up it. Due to how shallow it was, John easily grabbed around ten fish before stuffing them into his backpack, intending on making them last till they got wherever they needed to go.

The duo saw many forms of wildlife on their travels, although they didn't run into any more wolves or wild polar bears. Quickly, John became a forest novelty, many mammals venturing up to examine such a strange new mammal. John didn't quite understand why, but he figured it was due to the fact that he was carrying a bunny on his head, making him seem harmless.

Occasionally it would snow, but the duo would just take shelter under a tree and start a fire. John was rather surprised his lighter still had juice left, but he never used it for anything other than quickly starting a fire so it was able to last. Two weeks into their trek, John and Jacob were having another discussion about the Wilds.

"So Jacob, if you said this was a place where mammals are studied in a wild environment, why are there no tigers, zebras, gazelle, elephants, cougars, etc.? Is there like a "Southern Wilds" where mammals native to warmer climates live and are studied?" asked John with curiosity.

Jacob responded "No, I am afraid not, this is the only place in the world where mammals live as, well, animals. Because it's so far north, only mammals who can survive in much colder climates live wildly"

"Huh, ok then. Then what do predators normally eat in 'civilized' society if they can't hunt?" asked John.

"Well…" answered Jacob "Predators have two main sources of protein: fish and bugs. The fish is natural but the bugs have been refined into a meat-like burger substitute. I am not really sure because I have never eaten one. Oh! And birds such as chicken are also eaten, but that is far less common and much more expensive.

John continued "You also mentioned you have a famous sister who is like a celebrity cop or something right? And that she is partnered with a fox which happens to be a natural enemy of you guys. That must be quite a sight to see huh?"

"OH YEA!" Jacob became thrilled at the topic "That's Judy! She is the first rabbit officer on the ZPD. That's the Zootopia Police Department if you didn't know. She single-handedly solved…" Jacob went into EXTREME detail about his sister's exploits, so much detail that John thought he actually sounded like a stalker, but John knew he was just idolizing his sibling. John continued to listen to his bunny companion talk until he noticed something peculiar.

The birds were being quiet, more quiet than usual. Noticing the change in the ambiance, his survival instincts kicked in and John began using his senses to try and figure out what was wrong. The first thing he noticed was an odd smell in the air, one that he couldn't place. Immediately he shushed Jacob, the rabbit sensing something was wrong by picking up on John's concentration. Jacob began to swivel his ears like radar trying to detect any strange sounds.

"Uh oh" said Jacob while frowning with a nervous voice.

"What is 'uh oh'" asked John, already getting a bad feeling.

"Well…" began Jacob with a whispering voice as if he was about to reveal some huge secret "You know how I said that the job of a Ranger is to document wild mammal's habits and such?

"Yeaaaaa…so what? Asked John hoping Jacob would get to the point.

"Well that's only around 90% of the job description. You know how I mentioned that the Northern Wilds is unregulated, well… that kind of means it's a good place for criminals to do, uh, criminal things. The other 10% of the job is to catch those criminals in the act and report them to the police" John didn't need Jacob to elaborate further, he could already guess what was happening nearby, but Jacob continued

"The Rangers have their own special police who are strictly for apprehending criminals in the Wilds. After all, the border is so huge and tunnels have been dug under the fence by criminals to get to the Wilds"

"Wonderful!, that's just peachy. How come they say you have lucky feet when I always seem to run into trouble with you?" asked John in exasperation. Putting his annoyance aside, and ignoring the pout John could basically feel from Jacob, he asked "So where are they?" John glanced up to see Jacob pointing up a small incline to the left front of their current course. Like a ninja, John quietly climbed the little hill before setting Jacob at his side and peeking over. He did not like what he saw.

In a slight clearing that was surrounded on all sides by slopes like a bowl, there were five mammals. A pig wearing an expensive looking blue suit was standing across from a black panther wearing an expensive looking black suit. The pig and panther were both wearing Fedoras to match their suits and the pig was smoking a cigar.

'They looks like some old-timey gangsters' thought John as he quickly got over the fact that a pig and panther were wearing suits talking to each other. The other three mammals looked like hired help, dressed up in work clothes. There was a rhino and a camel on the pig's side standing in front of a couple of boxes that they probably carried. On the panther's side, there was a black wolf standing there like a bodyguard, a noticeable bulge on his belt which was clearly a gun.

The two gangster wannabes (in John's opinion) exchanged a couple of words before the panther handed an envelope to the pig who proceeded to open it and flip through its green contents. After flipping through the money, the pig nodded his head and the wolf stepped forward and grabbed the two boxes which he opened and pulled out four black briefcases. The whole display screamed "textbook" drug transfer and John wanted no part of this, opting to just watch until they left.

"ACHOO" Jacob sneezed loudly.

John looked over with a face of horror and fury that screamed "ARE YOU FUCKING KIDDING ME!"

Jacob in turn just sat there with a shell-shocked look, as if he couldn't believe his body betrayed him like that, before whispering "I didn't mean too! It just came out!"

Unfortunately for the dynamic duo, the wolf standing next to the panther heard Jacob's sneeze and yelled loudly "Someone's here!" before he began to run towards the source of the sneeze, his gun drawn. The two gangsters just stood there, now on edge, before the pig spoke to his hired help who ran to follow the wolf. John was not going to wait till they found them, he scooted a couple feet down the snowy hill, grabbed Jacob and started running.

As John was running, he took the time to say "Jacob I swear to god, after this is over I'm going to end you!" before sticking him back on his head.

The black wolf came over the rise of the hill and he saw John and Jacob running before exclaiming

"OVER HERE, DON'T LET THEM GET AWAY!"

The wolf took aim, fired two shots towards John who was running around sixty feet away, and continued to chase. John felt an impact in his lower hip, causing him to stumbled onto the ground before he recovered and continued to run. Jacob just held on for dear life. He had briefly considered splitting up with John to run in separate directions, but he instantly doused that idea, unwilling to separate with John where he felt safest.

He felt selfish, but he really only felt safe with John. Unbeknownst to Jacob, John didn't want him to split off either, John only felt confident in protecting his friend as long as he was by his side. The wolf saw John stumble and smiled with satisfaction, he had hit his target. Gaining on John after his tumble, John attempted to duck between trees to avoid getting shot again before two more impacts hit him in the thigh and lower back which caused John to emit a muffled grunt of pain.

'Dammit this fucking wolf has good aim!' he cursed internally. The wolf saw that his two shots connected again before he became relaxed, because getting shot three times would mean that his "prey" couldn't run anywhere anytime soon. John leaned against a tree, hiding himself from view of the wolf. The wolf, not in any rush, started walking towards the tree.

The wolf began speaking "Just give it up you two. I promise to make your deaths as painless as possible if you quit struggling". John's mind was thinking of options. Due to the lack of time, only one option seemed reasonable, and John pulled Jacob off the top of his head.

"Jacob, before he gets here, I need you to do something. I need you to distract him by running that way as fast as you can. It will only be for a moment, but I can use that to get him" whispered John while pointing at a tree to their immediate left.

"WHAT! NO! I don't feel like getting shot!"

"Dude, you will be moving too fast to hit in a short time, I only need a second to get close to him. We don't have time to argue!" Jacob reluctantly nodded his head, steeling himself for what he was about to do. The wolf came closer and closer, the crunch of his paws on the snow getting louder. Waiting till the last possible moment, John tapped Jacob on the shoulder and whispered

"Go!"

Jacob went from zero to a hundred really quick as he zoomed along the ground going for the cover of another tree. It happened in an instant. Jacob ran, a gunshot rang out, John stepped out from behind the tree to a stunned wolf who tried to bring his arm back to aim at John. John's plan worked, the wolf was too focused on the bunny. John closed the distance, the wolf only having time to swing his arm and fire wildly at John's core before John pounced, sending both of his unsheathed claws into the chest of the wolf.

As his life flashed before his eyes, the black wolf felt that everything in his life was unfair. All he did was get a job acting as a bodyguard from some drug lord to protect his man during a drug exchange. He didn't expect the mammal that crashed the party, the one he shot three times, was able to fight back at all.

'That's just unfair' thought the wolf as his eyes glazed over. Looking up, John saw the camel and the rhino only about ten feet away. They had caught up, and were watching in horror as John pulled his claws out of the stunned wolf. John reached for the gun that the wolf had before taking it and aiming at the two large mammals in front of him. John proceeded to fire one shot at the camel, hitting him easily at such a close distance. He then turned and fired three rounds into the back of the rhino who had already turned to run before the gun went *click* signifying no more ammo.

The camel and rhino both went down with pained grunts, but the rhino immediately got back up and continued to hobble away in fear. The rhino's thick skin and mass saved his life, but the wounds still hurt him. John tossed the gun to the side and ran towards the towering rhino, who glanced back at him in fear.

As he got closer, the rhino screamed in terror "Please don't hurt me!" just as John came upon him. John didn't head the pleading rhino's wishes, knowing that the rhino probably would have killed John if the roles were reversed, and mercilessly started slicing the rhino with his claws as they ran. The rhinos skin was thick however, preventing John from doing any critical damage. The rhino, who had been faking his fear, suddenly turned around, swinging his head low with its massive strength before impaling John on his horn in an uppercut like fashion which lifted John into the air.

The rhino stared at John stuck on his horn with a triumphant evil smile before that small turned into an "O" of shock when he saw John just looking at him with eyes full of hate, still completely alive. John, from his perch on the rhino's horn, punched his claws as hard as he could to break through the rhino's thick skin, right into the neck of the massive mammal, who let out a sound of pained choking before collapsing, blood pouring out of his neck wounds. John extricated himself from the horn before rubbing his stomach and grunting in pain as the deep wound healed.

John didn't even bother with the camel, who was bleeding profusely from the hole in his chest while crying out in pain. Going back to find Jacob, he called out for him not seeing him in the vicinity. He heard a cough and turned to his right to see Jacob sitting against a tree clutching his side. John heart skipped a beat and his eyes widened in fear. Jacob had been hit in the side of his stomach.

"no no no No NO!" John's voice became filled with panic as he ran up to his injured friend. The bullet went straight through him and his camo shirt, shredding whatever organ it went through, and Jacob was bleeding out both ends.

"GOD DAMMIT YOU IDIOT! HOW THE HELL COULD YOU BE SHOT! YOU'RE A FUCKING RABBIT! YOU ARE SUPPOSED TO BE FAST AND ARE LIKE TWO FUCKING FEET TALL! John spoke with righteous anger, the guilt overflowing in his voice. He laid Jacob down and proceeded to press on his wounds, hoping to slow the flow of blood, but it was futile.

John's voice broke "No man! You are not supposed to die on me right before we got back. That's just not fair! I saved your ass too many times to have you die on me at the end" Jacob just chuckled before he coughed, blood trickling from his mouth.

Jacob weakly started talking "Tell my family…"

"Shut up idiot" John interrupted "Don't you dare tell me something so cheesy and cliché. We are going to get you home" John finished, desperation filling his voice. He didn't know what to do, that is, until his mind flashed with insight, the basis being a memory from when he was fifteen. Filled with a small hope, he put Jacob down and took off to where the wannabe gangsters were waiting. Running over the small hill, the gangsters were waiting for their hired help to return, likely with the bodies of the two who had been eavesdropping.

What they instead saw charging at them was a mammal they had never seen before that had two sets of wicked looking claws and had a face that was scrunched up in pure rage. It was terrifying. They quickly pulled out their respective guns and took aim. Two minutes, seven bullet wounds, and two dead mammals later, John was walking over to the four briefcases, praying to whatever gods that could be listening that a particular item he was looking for was in one.

The first one only contained measured bags of some kind of white powder. 'Not helpful' thought John before tossing it aside. Opening the second one, he saw similar measured bags containing green looking flakes that reminded him of catnip. 'Not helpful!' John thought again, getting more and more desperate. Unlocking the third briefcase, he saw even more bags containing some kind of deep blue almost violet powder. 'NOT HELPFUL! WHAT THE HELL EVEN IS THIS SHIT!' John mentally screamed in fury.

He turned to the last briefcase, his hope teetering on the edge of a knife. Cracking it open, he finally saw what he wanted to find causing him to exclaim in relief and joy. There were bottles of a strange colored liquid stored in foam fitted compartments and a huge set containing empty needles. Tossing the drugs aside, John took the needles and ran as fast as he could to where he left Jacob. He found Jacob in the same position, staring off into space with his eyes growing dark.

"Don't go into the light Jacob, you are going to be fine" John said in a way that was more for reassuring himself. He wasn't sure if what he was about to do would work, but he could hope. Pulling out a needle, he stuck it into his arm and withdrew some blood before taking the needle out and setting it above Jacob's arm. When John was fifteen, he remembered his mom breaking a wine glass while washing dishes, slicing up her hands in the process. John remembered himself freaking out and trying to help his mother. There was a lot of blood and younger John had a bright idea.

If he could heal himself, maybe his blood could heal others. Ignoring his own pain, John had made a deep cut into his hand while rubbing his blood onto his mother's hand before the wound quickly closed. To John's delight, and his mother's horror, her cuts started healing as well. That moment was meaningful for John, for it was when his mother made him swear to never do that again. Right at this moment, John didn't know if it would work. For one, his mom was related to him, two she was a human, not a bunny, and three it was only on a surface wound, not something internal. That was not even considering different blood types.

John didn't have time to consider the consequences of what could happen, all he knew was that Jacob would die if he didn't try, and John would rather claw his way through hell and back before he let one of his friends die.

'Hope this works' John thought to himself before sticking the needle into Jacobs arm and injecting his blood. Jacob didn't even stir, likely loosing too much blood to register anything. In fact, John didn't even think he was conscious anymore. John waited, hoping to see some reaction, each second ticking by like an eternity. All of a sudden, after about twenty seconds, John saw what he wanted to see and he almost passed out from relief.

Jacob's wound was visibly closing on both his sides. John quickly took some more of his blood and injected it into Jacob causing the wound to close faster. After about a minute, Jacobs gunshot wound was completely gone and John gently picked up Jacob before placing his head against his chest. There was a horrifyingly long pause before John heard a heartbeat.

"Oh my god…" said John while exhaling, his anxiety and tension flowing out of him leaving only a sense of euphoria. He leaned against a nearby tree, still sitting with while he cradled his bunny friend in his arms. He began to laugh, trying to mentally shake off the fact that Jacob was almost killed. If asked, John wouldn't even try to deny the fact that he was attached to this little trouble magnet, having gone through a lot together.

"I swear to god bunny…" said John with a relief filled smile "You are going to be the death of me". 'I just hope that my blood doesn't have any side effects' thought John with nervousness. 'As long as he is alive, I don't think it matters' he concluded.

John waited for the rest of the day, the whole day in which he would hang around gathering wood to maintain a constant fire that Jacob laid beside. John was careful not to move him, as he knew that moving a person who was critically injured could cause their condition to worsen, and John wasn't taking any chances. John waited until it was dark before he tossed the rest of the wood into the fire. John didn't sleep that night, determined to keep watch over his friend in case anyone else showed up.

When the first rays of sunlight filtered through the forest, Jacob groggily opened his eyes before looking around in confusion. His head dizzy from blood loss, he reached for his wound, only to find dried blood where the holes in his body used to be.

"Morning sunshine, sleep well?" Jacob heard to his left. Sitting against the tree, John was giving him a tired smile.

Jacob, rubbing his face, asked "What happened to me? How am I not injured?"

John saw John frowned as he embarrassingly rubbed his head before John replied "You were shot clean through and were bleeding out. I may have, um, purposefully given you some of my blood". Jacob's face was unreadable. He already knew about John's ability to heal, but he never considered that it could be, well, "shared". Speaking slowly, Jacob replied "Well, that's the third time you saved my life so I can't be mad about that…" John smile widened a few degrees before Jacob continued "But I do have one concern, I'm not going to grow your claws right?"

Johns smile morphed into a look of surprise before he started laughing softly which evolved into crazy howling as John held his stomach, tears forming in his eyes as he completely lost it. Calming down and rubbing away sleep from his eyes, John stood up before reaching a hand down to Jacob. Jacob took it and John lifted him up in the air before placing him on his head.

"I don't know about you, but I would be heartbroken if I lost my portable head warmer" John said with a chuckle. Jacob just smiled and bopped John on the top of the head feeling eternally grateful at having such a unique friend. John started walking over to where he left the briefcases, passing by all the mammals John killed the previous day, the smell of blood fresh on the air.

Jacob looked at each body and shuddered before asking "Did you kill all of them?"

"Well yea…" John responded hesitantly, hoping he wasn't scaring his friend, "They tried to kill us, every one of them. Also, it wasn't like I had a choice when you were in the condition you were in". Jacob just nodded, making a promise to himself that he would never piss off John too much. He was already used to smelling blood and looking at dead bodies after living with wolves after all, so it wasn't too appalling to him. Walking past the two dead wannabe gangsters, John examined the cases full of drugs that were still on the forest floor.

Showing what was inside to Jacob, John asked him "So what do you want to do with these?" Jacob considered the question before responding "Let's turn these in to the police. Oh! Go and grab their wallets for their ID's". Doing what Jacob asked, John handed them to Jacob who put them into his small plastic backpack.

"Ok esteemed chariot, carry me home!" Jacob commanded, humor lacing his voice. John rolled his eyes and proceeded to continue south, carrying two briefcases in each hand. After walking for about ten miles, the duo finally saw their first sign of civilization in months: a giant wire fence that extended up to the trees height and seemed to go on forever in both directions. Every fifty feet was a large metal pole with a concrete base that each wire in between would connect too.

'Well, guess we climb this' thought John, putting down the suitcases in his left hand and reaching for the metal wire.

"JOHN WAIT..." screamed Jacob as he leapt off of Johns head in an act of self-preservation. John didn't react fast enough, his left hand grasping the wire sending 10000 volts of electricity coursing through his system.

"GAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH" John screamed in agony as he dropped the other suitcases. He tried to retract his hand, but the muscles inside were contracting due to the electricity forcing his hand shut around the wire. John collapsed to the ground writhing in pain, hand still forced shut around the fence, feeling as though he was being stuck with thousands of burning needles. Jacob stood by and watched in horror, trying to think but unable to come up with a plan to help John.

John, trying to control his body, attempted to stand while extending the three claws in his right hand. He began to maniacally hack at the wire his hand was connected too in some desperate attempt to cut it. Unfortunately, although his bone claws were sharp, they couldn't cut metal wire and John only saw one other option. Crying from the burns and pain of the electricity while still letting out roars of agony, John severed the ligaments in his arm which allowed him to free his hand. Taking two steps backward, John fell flat on his back, his body still smoking and emitting a burning smell.

John was hating his life at this point, convinced that the universe hated him and loved seeing him suffer. Jacob ran up to John before wringing his paws sheepishly. "The fence is electrified to deter wild mammals from trying to cross into civilization. Sorry I didn't mention it sooner"

John just glared at Jacob furiously, feeling sufficiently pissed at the lack of communication of such a 'FUCKING IMPORTANT DETAIL'. Electing to forgive Jacob due to the guilt he still felt over him getting shot, John simply forgave Jacob, much to his surprise.

"It's alright man, but how do we get across then?" Jacob looked left and right before answering "Well, those criminals back there must have had a secret passage somewhere that most likely leads deep under the fence, which actually extends into the ground to prevent mammals from digging underneath. We are probably not going to find it, as they are usually well hidden so our only real option is to follow the fence until we get to a station. The stations are where Rangers enter the forest and there should be one every ten to fifteen miles".

"Well then, we better start walking" replied John.

Ranger Station 14, Sometime in the Evening

The sun was starting to go down, and Will, a twenty-eight-year-old medium sized moose wearing red winter clothes, was ready for his shift to end. He was stationed here every work day as a sort of guard/maintenance worker keeping the Ranger station in order and making sure no one tried to sabotage the fence for any reason. It was called a Ranger station, but it was more of a glorified windowed cubicle similar to the ones on toll roads. The only perks were that it had TV and was heated.

Behind the station was the electrical transformer surrounded by a barbed wire fence that only he could access. In front of the station sat a large electric sliding gate controlled from the station itself. Will had heard of the helicopter crash and of the missing bunny, which happened to be closest to his particular station, and he often passed time amusing himself with thoughts of the bunny showing up at his gate, somehow having survived the blizzard season.

'Wouldn't that be interesting' he often mused. Sadly, he knew that it was impossible and that the bunny was certainly dead. Exiting the warmth of the glorified cubicle, the moose shuddered at the chilly breeze that was sweeping through the woods as he headed to his vehicle. Another night guard would be here soon, and he was pretty sure that nothing would happen if he left a couple minutes early.

"…hey…"

Will stopped and listened, thinking it could have just been the wind.

"…Hey…"

'Ok that was definitely not the wind' the moose thought suspiciously. Will began walking back to the station, hoping to hear the source of the voice again.

"HEY!"

Now it was much louder, and Will could make out a figure standing directly outside the gate of the fence. Getting excited and slightly nervous wondering who could be out there, he ran into the station, grabbed a flashlight, and ran back out towards the gate. Clicking the flashlight on, he peered through the fence at the figure he just illuminated. It was a mammal he had never seen before. One that had no fur and was wearing no shirt. The mammal was also wearing ripped jeans that looked absolutely horrendous.

The wind shifted and the moose almost gagged at how bad they smelled.

'Wait a minute, THEY?'

Looking at the top of the strange mammal, Will noticed a brown bunny wearing dirty camo clothes clutching the fur(?) at the top of the strange mammal's head. Will thought the bunny looked familiar, not making the connection in his mind. Ignoring the open mouth stare the moose was giving him, the bunny opened his mouth to speak

"Hey look buddy, you think you can let us through, we've had a long few months". The connection was made, sending shockwaves through the head of Will, finally realizing he was looking at the bunny that went missing months ago. "No way…" Will whispered as he dropped his flashlight in shock.

* * *

 **A/N: Any typos or blatant grammatical mistakes, please let me know**


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: Originally, I had this done yesterday but I felt that it lacked detail so I waited till I got a good nights sleep before re-reading it and adding where I felt appropriate. I also had to scrap a lot of ideas and plot directions before going with what I felt was my favorite option. Lots of point of view changes because I felt his arrival would have ramifications from many different places.**

* * *

Chapter 7: Not Like This

'Oh my god! This feels soooooooo good!' thought John as he stood in a shower, hot water pouring down his body removing months of built up grime. He didn't realize how much he missed warm water being stuck out in the cold, but hot damn, the wait was worth it. Jacob had already showered before him and since they were in a motel, there was an almost limitless supply of hot water, so John was taking his time enjoying the cleanliness he had been denied in nature. John smiled as he remembered seeing Jacob walk out the shower, his brown fur looking three shades lighter. He had a towel around his waist and his fur was poofed up from drying it and he had the dopiest grin John had ever seen.

'He looked so cute' John thought with humor. Just like with Jacob, brown disgusting water was pooling up at the bottom before it was sucked away. Putting shampoo in his hair and scrubbing dislodged more dark grime which ran into the drain, leaving behind a nice brownish red color rather than dark brown. After John finished showering, he used a pair of complimentary special scissors located on the counter which were used for trimming fur to cut the beard he had been growing in the wild. He preferred clean shaven, and his hair needed a trim too.

Luckily, due to his family's financial troubles, John always had his hair cut by his dad, with the promise that John could cut his dad's hair in return, meaning he knew somewhat what he was doing when he trimmed off the excess hair into the sink. Changing into the jeans and t-shirt he had borrowed from the moose he had encountered back at the station, he stepped out of the bathroom feeling like a new man and found Jacob watching T.V. while sitting on the comfy looking couch.

Plopping down next to him, Jacob started talking while staring at the T.V. "I never thought I would get to shower and watch television again. That felt too good"

John smiled before ruffing up the fur on the bunny's head while responding "Yea, I told you we would make it. After that shower I just want to pass out". John glanced at the T.V. only to see some kind of news report going on about something that seemed important, but he couldn't tell what it was.

Jumping to his feet, Jacob shook John's arm before pointing at the T.V. and exclaiming "Look man! It's about Judy and her partner". John continued to watch the T.V. as he grabbed the remote and turned up the volume.

The tagline along the bottom read _Local heroes Judy Hopps and Nick Wilde have done it again!_ "Today at 0918 hours, a routine traffic stop turned into a dangerous firefight when the darling duo stopped a red vehicle for speeding. The suspect, a middle aged zebra, immediately opened fire on our heroes who proceeded to call for backup. Following a high speed chase which was recorded by traffic cameras and will be broadcast later, the ZPD cornered the mammal when he pulled into a warehouse. Proceeding to apprehend the suspect, the warehouse was discovered to be a storehouse for a local drug ring" The news, called ZNN, went into more detail about the exploits and heroism of the police raid and consistently displayed pictures of the two in action.

John was rubbing his eyes. "So that is your sister right? I just have to ask, is being a trouble magnet inherited or does it happen to be just you two" John said as he gestured at the screen, remembering all the problems his bunny companion caused for him while smirking.

Jacob just punched him in the arm before responding with excitement "I can't wait to see her again!"

"You gonna call your family?" asked John out of curiosity. Jacob had definitely thought about it, but he decided it was best just to visit them in person. They wouldn't hear about his return for a couple days as it takes a while for news to travel to Bunnyburrow, and he didn't want them putting everything down just to come visit him in Polar City which was so far away.

"No" he finally responded. "I'm going to go see them tomorrow, make it a surprise" Jacob felt mixed emotions about this. One was giddiness at being able to surprise his family when he returned, the other was guilt because he knew they probably thought he was dead. "And I can't wait to introduce them to you as well!" Jacob added with warmth. John frowned and rubbed his head, looking away awkwardly. He quickly remembered the question he asked himself long ago:

'How much am I going to get involved with this place'. John recalled the dubious welcome he had received upon arrival.

"Look, there it is!" Jacob exclaimed while pointing at the station that was illuminated by a lamppost on the other side. A chilly wind was blowing, knocking snow off of trees around them as they walked up to the fence. John peered through only to see a large antlered mammal wearing a bright red winter jacket walking away down the road on the other side.

'Crap, he is leaving' they both thought as the guard continued to get further and further away.

"HEY" they both yelled. The moose stopped.

"HEY!" they both yelled louder. The mammal turned around and began walking back toward the fence before the companions yelled "HEY!" one more time. Upon seeing the mammal's front when he passed under the light post, John instantly recognized the mammal as a moose which made him uncomfortable, obviously from the fact he had killed one before. 'This is beyond weird' was the essence of what was going through John's head as the moose went into the station and came out wielding a flashlight.

Clicking it on, the moose aimed it at the two vagabonds, who stood there, shivering from the frosty wind. The moose just stood perfectly still, staring at them, which was annoying John before Jacob spoke up on his head "Hey look buddy, you think you can let us through, we have had a long few months".

A light flashed through the moose's eyes as he muttered "No way…" before dropping the flashlight onto the ground. The moose scrambled, reaching down to grab the flashlight he dropped into the snow. Picking it up, he asked with a hesitant voice "Are you Jacob Hopps? The bunny that went missing months ago?"

"Yes, now can you please let us in. It's cold out here" Jacob replied with impatience.

"Right, of course! Hold on a second" the moose said, sucking in his breath as he couldn't believe the bunny was alive, and he began to walk back to the station. Realizing he overlooked something very important, the moose halted and spun back around before saying "Wait a minute, who are you" as he pointed the flashlight at John. A plethora of witty comments floated through John's mind, but he chose to be as straightforward as possible to expedite the process of him and Jacob getting through.

"The name's John, pleasure to meet you, um, sir" John voiced carefully, as he wanted to avoid the ill will of the one mammal who could open the gate to their "freedom"

"Right, ok. My name is Will and pardon me but I will be blunt. What kind of mammal are you John?" said the moose, his eyes scanning John up and down like he was some kind of abstract art that he was trying to decipher.

John felt a premonition that he was going to be asked this question a lot in the near future and responded simply with "I'm a human, one-of-a-kind, now please let us through"

After staring at John for another five seconds, the moose noticed the briefcases that John was carrying before asking "Ok then, John, what are those?" while gesturing to the briefcases.

John, being tactless as ever, said "Drugs from some gangsters we encountered on our way back. They are dead". The moose looked petrified at the statement much to John's amusement. Jacob punched John on the top of the head before trying to salvage the situation.

"We will explain, and it was all in self-defense. They tried to kill us when we accidentally stumbled upon them. Please just let us in, I want to go home" Jacob articulated with a tone of innocence, as if they were simply just unlucky folk who had a bad day. The moose, wearing a look of uncertainty, shrugged and let out a sigh before heading back to the station. The moose had no idea what a human was and what to believe about the drugs, but the bunny who had been missing for months was ok with him so he couldn't be bad, right?

Walking into the glorified cubicle, the moose pressed the controls which began to open the gate. Briskly, arms crossed and shivering, John walked right in and up to the station where he opened the door feeling a blissful rush of warm air. Both John and Jacob moaned in pleasure, as they sat down on a chair enjoying the comfort the heat was providing. The moose simply eyed the duo, bunny still on John's head, with an interested and amused expression.

"So, how did you two survive blizzard season?" the moose asked after they all settled onto separate chairs. Both John and Jacob looked at each other before smiling knowingly. The moose tuned his ears, eager to listen to what was bound to be an awesome story.

"We lived with a pack of wild wolves" Jacob went right for the throat with a smile.

Flabbergasted, the moose replied "Bullshit, no way!"

In the warmth of the cubicle, Jacob starting recounting the past couple of months to the moose. Jacob described everything that happened from the crash all the way to where John saved his life and became the Alpha of a wolf pack. Jacob wisely left out the parts about the hunts in order not to freak the moose out.

"Wow! That's amazing!" the moose said with excitement while re-evaluating John. The moose was slightly puzzled at why John looked completely unharmed with zero scars if he had indeed fought a wolf pack. "You said that he fought off a wolf pack with his claws, you don't have any claws though" the moose stated while eyeing John skeptically. John simply smiled, held up his hands, and unsheathed his claws which made the moose jump out of his chair while blurting "HOLY SHIT!". The moose had never seen claws that large, and they looked wicked sharp and dangerous. 'What the hell is he?' the moose repeated the question in his mind. John quickly retracted them, causing the moose to calm down, but he never took his eyes off John.

Jacob, seeing an opportunity, asked the moose "Hey, you think you can drive us into the city when you head back? I need a shower"

"Of course! I'm just waiting on the night guard…" replied the moose while checking his watch, realizing that they had been talking for over thirty minutes and the mammal that was supposed to be replacing him was really late. "That moron is so late. AH! Speak of the devil" the moose spoke while pointing outside to where the lights of a car were pulling around a corner. "Alright then, he is here, let's go"

John spoke up "Wait a sec, do you happen to have any clothes I could borrow?" The moose looked at John's attire. All John had at this point was his shredded jeans, a belt, ripped socks and worn-down shoes. With a look of pity, the moose reached into a cubby on the wall and pulled out a blue t-shirt and a pair of jeans. John quickly changed into the clothes, but ran into a problem. While the shirt being too big wasn't a big deal, John had to tighten his belt all the way in order to fit the jeans designed for a wide mammal such as a moose. He also had to rip half a foot of fabric from each pant leg in order to make it work. The moose even handed him a red jacket, telling him it was for guard use but that he could have it. John was grateful for these acts of kindness.

"Hey can I ask a favor of you two? Can I take a picture with you both? It's bound to hit the news eventually that you survived and I want to show my kids".

Jacob and John just looked at each other, grinned, and said in unison:

"Alright"

"Sure"

John put Jacob on his head in the usual fashion and stood next to the moose. The moose put his phone down on the table set it to TIMER mode before standing back next to John. "Hey, show your claws, it will look cooler" the moose requested in earnest. John would be lying if he said that didn't make him apprehensive, but after being given his clothes, he decided to humor the generous moose. Unsheathing his claws, John stood there with his hands up, a lazy smirk on his face, while Jacob rested his one arm on John's head while leaning on another smiling. The moose just stood there, a knowing grin on his face, likely for showing off to his kids later. The camera flashed, and the three all looked at the picture as the moose picked up his phone. "That's a keeper" the moose said as he smiled, pocketed his phone, and stepped outside.

The next hour and a half was like a dream to John. Leaving the shack AKA "Ranger Station", the moose talked to the night guard and promised he would explain everything later when his tiger replacement questioned about John and Jacob with a blatantly curious look, as all felines were. Getting into the car, the moose drove them both out of the woods. Riding shotgun for about thirty minutes, John was just absentmindedly staring out the window in his seat, before the city appeared in its full glory.

John was awestruck, the city was beautiful, but there was something even more amazing that was grabbing his attention. There were tons of mammals of many different kinds walking the streets, talking to each other, holding paws, messaging on their phones, doing things people do. Bright signs and streetlamps were starting to light up due to the darkness, and the colors reflected off the snow making the city brighten up like a rainbow. It didn't look like any other city back home, the clean feeling it radiated, and the colorful ambiance giving it its own unique charm.

John was finding it very bizarre seeing all kinds of different animals acting like people. Glancing at one particular scene, John felt his heart skip a beat. A shorter polar bear, a POLAR BEAR, had its arm around the shoulder of a deer and was showing him something on his phone while they were laughing. John didn't say anything, preferring to absorb the surreal nature that was surrounding him as the car drove on.

A couple things happened when they were dropped off. Jacob had John leave the ID's of the gangsters and the drugs with the guard and asked him to turn them into the police, which he promised he would. Next, they said their goodbyes, John thanked the moose again for the clothes, and they both began walking down the white sidewalk. Without even thinking, John slung Jacob by his collar back onto his head who proceeded grab his hair as they began passing by mammals who were pointing and staring at the duo. Some even pulled out their phones and took pictures while John tried his best to look inconspicuous. He was failing horribly.

John wasn't sure about social etiquette between different species, but he simply presumed that it was a combination of the fact he was giving a bunny a piggyback ride and the fact that he was a one-of-a-kind mammal that was the reason for all the unwanted attention. Mammals soon began to follow them taking videos with their phones while whispering to each other and pointing at them, much to John's great discontent. His good hearing allowed him to listen in on a couple of hushed conversations such as:

"What is it?"

"I don't know George. Hey Roofus, you ever see a mammal like that"

"Nope"

Turning around, John yelled "THE HELL YOU ALL LOOKING AT!" hoping to scare away their pursuers. It had the opposite effect, as more mammals began surrounding them taking pictures and videos. John was getting real nervous, he did expect attention, but not this much, and he didn't like what that meant for his future. Jacob tapped John on the head and pointed to a nearby motel which John hustled too trying to outpace the nosy mammals. Ducking inside, the mammals did not follow to John's relief.

"Sorry about that John, they have just never seen anything like you before" Jacob said to him in a tone that pleaded forgiveness. "Don't worry about it" was John's reply, hiding how uncomfortable it made him. They walked up to what looked like an arctic hare wearing a blouse before Jacob asked for a room. He paid for it using by repeating back his memorized card info to the distracted hare, something that John was surprised at since they had been lost for so long. The female hare just stared at John the whole time who began to stare right back with a look of "If you got something to say, say it!". The female hare never spoke up, and instead hastily handed Jacob a card key and the two proceeded to their room.

Meanwhile

A large female polar bear sat at a huge desk that was stacked high with unsigned paperwork. Sitting in a bland and compact office, she was working with her pen furiously, leafing through the towers of paper signing as fast as she could.

"Damn I hate logistics" she muttered tiredly, fed up with her sore wrist. She was in charge of authorizing supplies to be purchased and sent out to the Rangers that were about to go back into the Wilds since blizzard season was now over. Every year, this always led to massive amounts of paperwork and right now it was giving her a massive headache. While she was busy considering retirement as she signed paper after paper, her door smashed open, shocking the poor mammal who knocked off a stack of papers while she muttered a curse.

"Dammit Dalia, I told you to knock!" Dalia, a shy female antelope working as a secretary, lowered her ears to hide her embarrassment.

"Sorry ma'am, I just received a phone call from a mammal named Will, a guard working at one of the Ranger Stations who told me something very important that you need to hear..."

"Oh really, and what could be so important for you to just barge in here" the female polar bear voiced with sarcasm.

Dalia did not back down, and replied in a professional manner "Well Ms. Friedkin, do you remember the Ranger trainee that went missing during the helicopter crash months ago. The bunny?". The polar bear shuddered, remembering the nightmare of paperwork and press conferences she had gone through after that incident. The worst part were the letters and phone calls to the respective family members of those who died. Those were not pleasant, as anyone could imagine.

"Yes… I remember" she responded in a somber manner. Dalia continued, knowing about the bombshell she was about to drop.

"Well…he's alive. He showed up at the fence gate a little less than an hour ago and was let through". It took a lot to surprise the polar bear known as Ana Friedkin. She had developed a professional sense of detachment working as the logistics coordinator for the Ranger Corps, her position leading her to have her deal with Rangers who had died in the Wilds before, but what she just heard almost caused her to fall out of her chair.

"Did you say what I think you said?" she asked with seriousness.

Dalia continued "That isn't even the most shocking part ma'am" The polar bear squeezed her eyes with her paws.

"What could possibly be more shocking than a rabbit who survived a helicopter crash showing up having survived completely alone for months through blizzard season in the Wilds?" Friedkin groaned in exasperation.

"That's just it ma'am, he wasn't found alone" Dalia said with a tentative tone.

"What do you mean?" replied Friedkin while she adjusted in her seat.

"I mean… he was literally riding on the top of the head of an unknown mammal when they arrived. We still don't know what… what type of mammal he or she is"

After an awkward silence, Friedkin responded with skepticism "What the hell does that mean? A new type of mammal was discovered or something?"

"I'm… I'm not sure, but the guard did send me a picture" Dalia said as she pulled out her phone and opened her messages. Handing the phone to the polar bear who took it in paw, Friedkin carefully looked over the image before her eyes widened in astonishment. She was looking at the picture the moose had taken not an hour ago. More specifically, she was looking at the strange fur-less mammal that had a lazy smirk on its fur-less face, six of the deadliest looking claws she had ever seen extended from its paws(?).

The weirdest part, at least to her, was how casual the other two in the picture were around it. She confirmed that indeed the bunny on the head of the strange mammal was the same one that went missing, although his fur was much darker, likely due to mud. Friedkin was no fool, for she understood exactly what this meant for someone in her position: more paperwork, and a mandatory press conference eventually. She had been the one to declare him dead after all.

Mentally groaning and cursing her bad luck, she handed the phone back to Dalia and told her "Alright, I will take care of this" before Dalia nodded and left the office. Looking towards the edge of her desk, she picked up a framed photo of her and her sister. Her sister was wearing a ZPD trainer shirt with a big smile on her face. "You got the fun job sis" she whispered to herself as she held the photo. Putting the photo down, she sat back in her chair and stared at the bland white ceiling. 'This week is going to suck' she thought to herself.

In the center of Animalia: A fortified military Headquarters

A withered old goat wearing glasses sat behind his ornate desk typing away on his computer, sending out important orders to the various division commanders. The folds on his collar had four stars on each side, signifying the highest rank in the AUA (Animalia United Army). On the very front of his desk, a gold lacquered name plaque that read "Brandon Petraeus" was illuminated by a lamp in the corner of the room. On each side of the rather spacious office, bookshelves lined the walls filled to the brim with books pertaining to a multitude of military functions. A rug in the middle of the floor bearing the symbol of the AUA sat proudly, completely spotless.

Currently, the goat was typing very generic orders to email to the various other Generals under his command. His goal was to make his orders very basic, so that it gave his Generals more freedom to act on their own with regards to their various deployments and training regimes. The military wasn't what it used to be. After Animalia united many centuries ago, the various armies of the different City-States united and consolidated into what it is now. However, due to the peace, the military had been cut back severely.

They still had what they needed to function properly, but the amount of personnel they had was nothing like it was in the past with only around 50,000 active members stationed in various military installations across Animalia. The military had a new goal, which essentially was keeping the peace. They would assist with police raids, mammal search and rescue, natural disaster triage, etc., whenever they could. Occasionally, they would be called in during major events such as gang wars to protect the citizens.

Their authority superseded all civilian authority, but it was rarely abused since the Army was composed of mammals from every City-State. This made it so that they couldn't abuse their power or they would feel the wrath of their own compatriots. As he was typing, the old goat heard a knock at his door.

"Come in" the goat said in a gruff voice as he paused his typing on the keyboard. Walking in to his office and standing in the center of the carpet, a uniformed cheetah stood at attention and saluted with military bearing before declaring "Sir, I have a report that I believe you should hear about". The cheetah was the General's aide in charge of helping manage the General's time and taking reports from other officers to be sorted and delivered to the General.

The General rather liked his aide, but he didn't let it show on his face as he responded with a stern glare and voice "Well… get on with it then".

"Sir, there have been reports coming out of Polar City of a new mammal which has appeared out of nowhere. Citizens have taken videos and pictures of the mammal, and they have been posting them all over the internet. The general population seems very concerned but also curious about this development" the cheetah concluded. The goat was not impressed and responded with his thoughts "Why does this concern me Howard?"

The cheetah continued "Well sir, the police in Polar City have been contacted multiple times from concerned citizens. The police department there isn't sure about how to handle this. A lot of questions and concerns have been brought up about it, like whether or not it is an alien, whether or not it is carrying new diseases, basically the public wants to know if it is a threat and I believe that this is the source of the fear" said the cheetah while holding up his phone to show a picture to the goat.

The source of the picture was the wall feed from a middle aged moose's Furbook. The old goat adjusted his reading glasses and glanced at the image before they focused on the strange mammal. His eyes widened ever so slightly as he saw the claws on the new mammal.

"Hmm, intriguing. Alright then, relay to the Chief of Police what I am about to tell you. They are authorized to apprehend this new mammal on my authority until it can be evaluated by scientists of the Mammal Wellness division of the ASRA where they will find out what it is and if it poses any kind of threat to the general population. They are not to use lethal force and are encouraged to try and bring it in peacefully. I will send an order out for military support should they request some, although I doubt they will need it. That is all! Carry on!" the goat said, finishing his orders.

The cheetah saluted and promptly left, exiting the office while quietly closing the door, leaving the old goat to his thoughts. Leaning back onto his chair, the goat looked at the ceiling before smiling while thinking 'This week is going to be interesting'

Back at the Motel 

John was still thinking about his future plans as he sat there with Jacob on the couch, still relaxed from the shower. He really had no idea how he was going to get back home at this point. One crazy idea had popped up in his head, one that involved repeating what caused him to enter this world in the first place, but he quickly scrapped it. For one thing, he had no idea EXACTLY where he popped up in the ocean. And another thing, it involved him sinking himself in painfully cold water, something he prayed he would never have to do again.

John began to carefully weigh his choices before one plausible solution worked its way into his mind. John began talking "Hey Jacob, does this place have any scientists that I could maybe get into contact with? I have a couple of questions that I am hoping they could answer" hoping that he could receive help from them to find his way home. Jacob, turning away from the T.V., replied with an earnest "Oh yea, of course! There are plenty of mammal scientists specializing in many different fields. You would have to get in contact with the ASRA which is the "Animalia Scientific Research Association" if you want to set up a meeting with them"

John became relieved, content with knowing he somewhat had a plan before responding with gusto "Great! Excellent! So for now I'll just hang out with you huh?"

"Yup, you're gonna love Bunnyburrow, its warm, has lots of fresh air, and all the fruits and vegetables you could ever eat!" John's mouth started salivating at the thought of fruits and vegetables, having been denied their sweet flavors in the wild. He was really craving some peaches, which were his favorite fruit.

"I can't wait dude" John said with genuine eagerness. Jacob just smiled at him before turning back to watch the news which was going over recent happening across Animalia. Eventually, the two roommates could not hold their eyes open any longer and Jacob mentioned going to bed.

"Alright then, John, you can have the bed while I will take the couch" Jacob spoke with a tiny hint of reluctance. John completely understood where the reluctance came from, and proceeded to make things simple. Grabbing Jacob by the clean collar of his camo jacket, which he had washed earlier, John walked to the bed before laying on top of it and curling around Jacob like a teddy bear. John had done this so many times in the wild to keep warm, that it didn't feel weird or strange or awkward at all.

Jacob wouldn't openly admit it, but he felt completely content in John's embrace. It wasn't romantic or anything like that, but it just felt "right" after spending so much time going through so much bullshit together. It was simply absolute trust, and John enjoyed feeling trusted. They didn't even bother folding the covers over themselves as they were so used to the cold, it would be WAY too hot.

"Night dude" John whispered.

"Night John" Jacob whispered back, and they both were out like a light.

PCPD (Polar City Police Department) HQ, Same Time

"Yes sir, I understand, I will handle this appropriately… What? No! I will not need military support; it is just one mammal…Uh huh…yes…of course…thank you sir!" *beep* the phone was hung up. Pressing the intercom, the owner of the voice spoke with authority:

"Rivera, Snowden, report to my office. NOW!"

Not a minute later, a knock was heard on the door.

"Come in" declared the mammal sitting behind the desk.

Walking in formally, an average sized white furred wolf and a large white polar bear dressed in blue uniforms stood at attention in front of the desk and saluted before voicing with a tone of deference

"Chief!"

Chief Fisher, an old gray furred timber wolf, sat behind his small wooden desk scribbling something on a piece of paper. He began speaking "We have received numerous reports of a new mammal sighted Uptown in District 11 of the city. As this falls under my jurisdiction, I have been authorized by the military to apprehend this mammal as it currently poses a public health risk until it has been evaluated. Based on our most recent reports, the mammal took temporary residence in a local motel"

The timber wolf sighed loudly before continuing. "You two, prepare for a long night. I am ordering you to keep a stakeout at the front of the motel in case the mammal tries to leave. At 0800 tomorrow, we will apprehend him. You two will be the first to enter to try to convince the mammal to come quietly since you two have the most experience interrogating/negotiating with perps. There will be a briefing tomorrow for the rest of the Precinct. Any questions?" The white wolf and polar bear partners simply exchanged glances before returning their attention to the Chief.

"No sir!" they both declared.

"Very well, dismissed" he finished while gesturing to the door as if to say "Get lost!". The two mammals promptly exited the office, and the timber wolf began to pack his things for the night. Wiping his eyes, he thought to himself 'Tomorrow is going to be busy'

Back at the Motel

John was having a wonderful dream. He was back home eating a Thanksgiving dinner with his family while they all laughed, ate, and swapped stories to their heart's content. Naturally, it was rudely interrupted by a knock on the door. John didn't want to answer, hoping he could fall right back asleep and resume his nice dream. *Knock* *Knock* *Knock* the door was knocked again, preventing John from returning to his slumber.

"Come back later!" he yelled softly to avoid waking Jacob who was stilled curled in his arms.

Unfortunately, Jacob had already awoken and he groggily asked "What is it?" while wiping his eyes. *Bang* *Bang* *Bang*. The knocks got much louder at the door.

John sat up and grumpily voiced out "Hold on! Give me a minute!" before releasing Jacob and sitting up on the bed while rubbing the sleep from his eyes. He felt very well rested and refreshed, like his system had been cleaned out. It was a good feeling. Standing up, he walked to the door and opened it up expecting to see a room-keeping service mammal. What instead greeted him was a sight that caused his heart to sink to his feet.

Two mammals, a white wolf and a large polar bear dressed in what looked like police attire. Blue collared shirts covered by a layer of body armor with a utility belt strapped around their respective waists. They both had one paw on their hips and another on a black bulge on their belts which was either a Taser or some weird shaped gun. As all good feelings drained from John leaving only a sickening sense of dread.

The polar bear spoke in an obviously feminine voice "Hello sir, my name is Officer Mary Snowden and this…" she said while gesturing to the wolf, "Is Officer Martin Rivera of the PCPD. We are going to need you to come with…"

*BAM!*

John slammed the door in their faces which startled Jacob inside.

"What's going on! Who was that?" he spoke with unease.

"It's the police" John stated not bothering to mask the despair in his voice.

"Well…what did they want?" said Jacob slowly, the tension becoming palpable as the knocks resumed on the door.

"They want me to go with them" John stated as if it was the worst possible scenario.

"John, you have to trust the police. They probably just want to find out what you are" Jacob conveyed in a calming voice, hoping to soothe John who looked like he was ready to panic.

"NO WAY! There is no way I am going to go with them. I'm sorry Jacob, but I don't want to be taken away only to disappear and never be heard from again like those kids back in my world" John whispered so the mammals outside couldn't hear. John felt like a cornered animal and he wasn't about to just give in without a fight. Looking around, many plans flew through his mind on how to escape. Jacob watched as the mammal who saved his life, the one who he had to thank for making it this far, the one who killed mammals five times his weight, was having a total meltdown.

John was visibly shaking and sweating, the fear of capture overwhelming him as he clutched his head. Finally, John's eyes flashed with resolve and he directed a hard look at Jacob. Jacob swallowed a lump in his throat, not liking the look John was giving him. Casually, John knelt down beside Jacob, softly put a hand on his shoulder, and smiled warmly while looking into his eyes.

As if everything was fine, John spoke in a mellow voice "Hey bro, it's been real fun…" Jacob started frowning, the causal almost detached air about John giving Jacob goosebumps.

"Go home to your family dude. Thanks for being a nice head warmer" finished John as he picked up Jacob, who started struggling while yelling

"JOHN WAIT DON'T…"

Jacob didn't get to finish as John tossed him into the bathroom, closed the door, and pulled a chair in front of the knob to prevent him from coming out.

'This is not how I pictured we'd go our separate ways' John thought to himself dejectedly as he heard Jacob attempt to open the door. Walking to the front of the room after slinging his backpack on, he opened the door that the police officers were still banging on, much to their surprise.

Smiling openly, John stated "Alright, just needed to take care of a few things. We good to go?" The two mammals just glanced at each other skeptically before the polar bear started speaking "Of course, right this…" she didn't get to finish, as John cocked his arm back and punched the wolf straight in his snout stunning him, before diving for his sidearm.

Giving the polar bear some credit to her police training, she never relaxed her guard the entire time and reacted instantly after John punched her partner in the face. Tackling John with her massive weight while growling, she proceeded to try and restrain his arms. Unfortunately for her, John had managed to wrestle away the sidearm from the stunned wolf, which he assumed was a Taser. His arms were compressed underneath the polar bear, his left hand still grasping the weapon.

Before the polar bear could pin his arms, he managed to find the trigger and fire the weapon, sending the projectile into the leg of the polar bear who grunted in pain. Quiet quickly, she got weaker and weaker until John was able to dislodged himself from underneath her before she gave John a bitter look, cursed audibly, and passed out. Glancing at the weapon in his hand and at the leg of the polar bear, he discovered that the weapon he took was some kind of tranquilizer gun. Before he could think more on the subject, he was tackled again by the wolf who had blood dripping from his snout and was growling furiously.

John wrestled with the wolf who was clawing and scratching him with his claws tearing up his new clothes, eventually gaining the upper hand due to his superior size and strength. Putting him into a choke hold, the wolf didn't panic and grabbed his partner's tranquilizer gun which was directly to the right of him. The wolf shot John in the thigh before passing out due to lack of oxygen. John stood up and pulled the dart out of his leg. He felt very woozy for a couple of seconds before the feeling went away, his body breaking down the foreign substance almost instantly.

John stood up and looked at the aftermath thinking to himself 'Well, there is no going back now'. Reaching for the polar bears tranquilizer still being held by the wolf, he heard someone speak on the wolf's radio:

"Officer Rivera, what is your status? Do you have the mammal in custody?"

John frowned as he picked up the tranquilizer and stuffing it into his back pocket before grabbing the radio and depressing the button.

"Hello there" he said. The silence was palpable as John waited for a response.

After some time, he heard someone else come onto the radio who spoke with a gruff voice "I presume I am speaking to the mammal we were sent to apprehend. Correct?"

"Yes that would be me" was John's curt reply.

"Very well…I have one question before any more words are spoken. What is the condition my officers?" The mammal on the other end tried to hide it, but John could detect the faintest hint of concern in his voice. John understood right away what he had to do, he had to press his advantage in order to escape.

With an emotionless tone, John responded "Yes they are both alive, for now"

John could just barely make out the sound of a sigh of relief before the voice spoke again "Ok, what are your demands"

"I will come out with one of your officers in my possession. You will leave one of your vehicles unattended which I will take and drive away. I will leave your officer before I depart. If you try to hinder my escape, I will slit his throat. Are we clear?"

There was a long pause before he heard the voice say "Agreed". John dropped the radio and grabbed the scruff of the unconscious wolf before he started dragging him down the hall to the entrance of the motel. John didn't really have any intentions of killing his hostage, but he knew he had to put pressure on them in order for them to meet his demands. Stepping through the doors, he dragged out the wolf who was visibly bleeding from the nose into the bright light, the sun reflecting off the snow.

What he saw after his eyes adjusted to the blinding light nearly made him whimper. He was completely surrounded by police. There were twelve police vehicles with their lights flashing surrounding the street in a semi-circle around the entrance of the motel. On each side of each vehicle, there were various mammals in police uniforms training their tranquilizers in his direction, all covered behind the doors of each vehicle.

Most of the vehicles were the same size with the exception of two that seemed to be rode by rhinos and elephants since those were the uniformed mammals standing beside said cars. Behind the vehicles, hundreds of various mammals large and small were watching the scene, recording with their phones while talking to each other excitedly. There was a perimeter set up by officers to prevent them from coming closer. Scanning the various officers, each of them giving him a hateful look of varying degrees, his eyes settled onto a timber wolf standing in front of the perimeter giving him a heavy glare. John had a hunch.

"You the mammal on the radio?" spoke John loudly getting the attention of the surrounding officers.

"Yes that's right" he spoke with a level voice. John held up his right arm before slowly extending his claws for effect. The surrounding mammals, both police and civilian, all gasped in shock. Never had they seen any mammal with claws like John's. Holding up his captive wolf, he placed his claws up to the neck of the wolf causing the surrounding officers to tense up and take aim.

Speaking like he was in control, John said "Where is my vehicle?"

Suddenly, John heard a sound: *Pfffft*

John didn't have time to turn his head before a dart hit him square on the neck to the cheers of the surrounding officers. Looking to his left, he saw a uniformed snow leopard that had been hiding behind a large trash can smirking at him.

'Oh, they think that's it, do they?' thought John with anger. The surrounding officers waited for John to collapse, knowing about the effects of the tranquilizer. John just stood there staring at the officers. He didn't collapse. Casually pulling out the dart from his neck, John flicked it into the snow with his fingers. The officers were shocked speechless, even their Chief was speechless. 'What kind of monster is he?' they thought collectively, unable to comprehend how any mammal could be standing after being shot with ELEPHANT tranquilizer.

Not letting them recollect themselves, John roared "DID YOU THINK I WAS KIDDING!?" before he began pressing his claws into the scruff of the wolf who let out a loud whine while drawing blood.

"WAIT!" the timber wolf cried in alarm.

"Edwards, Nelly, step away from your vehicle" ordered the Chief. Reluctantly, the two officers on the furthest end of the blockade walked to join their companions behind another vehicle leaving their cruiser unattended. John saw this as his cue, and he started walking towards it while keeping his claws on the wolf to prevent unwanted interference. He walked up to the vehicle all while under the watchful gazes of both civilians and officers. Leaning into the car, he checked that the keys were present before he made up his mind.

In one fluid motion, he picked up the wolf and threw him at the nearest officer with all his strength. Jumping into the vehicle, he put it into drive before spinning it on the snow covered road causing a loud screech and taking off. The police reacted instantly, the Chief giving out his orders.

"Officers Edwards and Nelly, stay behind and take care of our downed officers! Make sure that Officer Snowden is alright and make sure that Rivera gets medical attention. THE REST OF YOU… AFTER THAT BASTARD!"

There was a flurry of activity as all the officers went into motion while the mammals who were watching were typing furiously on their phones posting the videos of what just transpired. All eleven police cars roared to life and their sirens echoed off the nearby buildings signifying the start of an epic car chase. John has no idea where he was in the city, but he knew where he had to go. Looking over the rooftops, John could just barely make out the faint rise of the tree line. John took whatever roads that were leading towards it, dodging and weaving through traffic occasionally side swiping a vehicle.

He could hear the sirens blaring behind him, but he had a good head start and he had just found the road they took to get here. Driving like a madman, John zoomed past tree after tree on the back road that would lead him back to the Ranger Station. He was moving so fast, that it only took him fifteen minutes to reach his intended destination, the fence gate leading to the Wilds. At this point the police cruisers were right on his tail, but he was more focused on not crashing before reaching his end goal.

As he arrived at the station, he saw the friendly moose in the booth looking at the approaching vehicles in confusion and shock. John just waved at him as he drove the cruiser right through the gate, completely destroying it with a loud crash, the sound of metal shredding against metal echoing for miles. Unable to control the vehicle, John drove it straight into a tree with a loud *BOOM* from the collision. Shoving the deployed airbag out of his face, John stepped out of the wrecked cruiser and started running into the woods.

The cruisers that had been pursuing him stopped just before the entrance into the Wilds. They all got out of their cruiser and watched as the mammal they were chasing fled deeper and deeper into the forest. Steeping out of his vehicle, the Chief cursed as he watched the mammal that was supposed to be taken into custody grow smaller and smaller, eventually passing out of sight behind the cover of trees. Reaching for his phone, the timber wolf pulled up his contacts and dialed a recent number.

Gnashing his teeth, the timber wolf spoke into the phone "Yes Sir, this is the Chief of Police of Polar city. The mammal escaped into the Wilds. We might actually need military support after all"

Meanwhile Jacob was sitting on the floor of the bathroom he had been locked in leaning on the door. He had his head hidden in his legs as quietly sobbed. Because of his excellent hearing, he had overheard the conversation between the Chief and John over the radio, and it was almost heartbreaking to him to know that the kind and strong mammal who saved his life, the one who he had spent months with as friends, was now going to be hunted like a criminal. 'It didn't have to be this way you idiot!' thought Jacob, lost in his own melancholy.

Meanwhile in Zootopia

Judy Hopps was not having a good day. After the recent drug ring bust that started from a simple routine traffic stop, there had been an endless amount of paperwork to go through. There had been a lot of drugs found at that dilapidated warehouse, courtesy of one dumb zebra. Unfortunately, they had found the what they feared most, stores of a new type of drug that was becoming more and more common in the criminal underworld.

What was very unnerving about it, at least from the reports Judy had read, was that it was a powder type drug that was based off the night howler serum, only this was designed to be far less potent and it did not bind with receptors in the brain, but instead stayed in the bloodstream. In short, it only lasted for an hour to three at most (depending on amount taken) and could "enhance" mammals making them far more deadly at a cost of some of their rationality. It didn't have a name yet, but big time criminals were supplying it to their lackeys as a way of making them more "effective".

Sadly, with any drug there were bound to be those who abuse it, and several mammals had already been mauled to death by druggies who had overdosed, the aftermath causing panic throughout the city. There was all of that and the fact that there were several new groups popping up, some being both anti-prey and others anti-predator which was a whole other range of issues. For Judy, the icing on the cake was the fact that she was still getting over Jacob's death. She felt like a part of her, the same part that helped her believe anyone could be anything, partially died with Jacob the day she heard the news.

Judy groaned while thinking about all that was happening and instead tried to focus on the positive, like the optimistic bunny she was. 'Luckily I am not alone' she smiled to herself. Sitting across from her, her foxy partner Nick Wilde was busy…WAIT!

'HE IS ON HIS DAMN PHONE! THAT SLACKER!' Judy screamed internally. Feeling rather sneaky, she quietly left her chair and stood behind the chair of her partner who was watching a rather loud video, the voices of several excited mammals overlapping with one another. Jumping right onto his back and putting her arms around his neck, she yelled "Whatcha doing there slick!?" as Nick yelped in surprise and dropped his phone onto the desk.

He quietly muttered with a pout "Sly bunny" while she quipped back in the usual fashion:

"Dumb fox, why are you not doing your share of the paperwork? We still have so much to do and I am NOT doing it alone"

"Relax carrots, we will get it done, but you need to see this too! It's a video from some arctic fox in Polar City about a crazy new mammal!" Judy's interest was piqued, and Nick held up his phone so that they could both see and restarted the video. Watching from beginning to end, the video showed a fur-less mammal stepping outside of a motel holding a uniformed wolf hostage which made Nick and Judy frown in displeasure.

Holding up his right paw(?), the creature unsheathed his vicious claws which caused both Nick and Judy to gasp in astonishment before holding them to the neck of the officer. Nick growled and Judy narrowed her eyes in fury. That was one of their brothers in uniform, and seeing their brother being threatened like that stoked the flames of their ire. They witnessed as a snow leopard hidden from the mammal's view shot a dart right into his neck which the pair silently cheered for, glad that it was resolved peacefully, only, that wasn't the end of the video.

They both thought what the police officers did at the time, that he was caught. But to Judy and Nicks astonishment, the mammal just pulled the dart out of his neck and threw it into the snow, seemingly unaffected which was jaw dropping. 'Those were elephant tranquilizers! How could he not possibly be affected?' were the thoughts everyone was thinking at the time. Seemingly angry from being shot, the mammal pressed his claws into the wolf drawing blood which made both the partners hearts turn cold as they narrowed their eyes. Finally, it showed the mammal walking to a police car, throwing the wolf, getting in and driving off.

Judy and Nick looked at each other. Nick went first:

"So there is a new "super" mammal, who can resist elephant tranquilizers and has the freakiest claws I have ever seen, and he is a total asshole"

"Language, but yes he threatened officers, so I would call him a jerk. Hope they catch him!"

*Knock* *Knock*

The duo looked over to the door of their shared office in Precinct One.

Standing there while gesturing out, a large portly cheetah wearing a uniform that just barely fit him spoke with enthusiasm "Hey you two lovebirds, you guys might want to see this". The portly cheetah was eyeing Judy, who still was handing on the back of Nick's neck with a look of delight thinking "Man those two are so cute together"

Judy responded in a typical Judy fashion, stuttering with "Clawhauser! It's not…were not…I mean…" while her ears began to redden in embarrassment.

Nick stopped her rambling with a paw before responding in a very Nick fashion. With a smirk that could be felt across Zootopia, he stated nonchalantly "Easy there carrots, your ears get any redder and they could be mistaken for tomatoes" which earned him a flick on the ear before she hopped off his back. They both walked out of their shared office, following Clawhauser who was leading them to a conference room with the overhead T.V. on. Passing through the very large and awe inspiring halls of Precinct One, the three mammals stepped inside and found several other mammals all watching the same thing Nick had just shown Judy on his phone.

It was ZNN covering the car chase of the newly discovered mammal while asking relevant questions to the local police officers. They were showing traffic cameras of the car chase which made several mammals wince at some scenes and elicited collective exclamation of "WOAH" when the video showed the mammal drive right through the metal gate and into a tree, before the mammal stepped out and took off out of view of the camera.

Discussions immediately erupted in the conference room about what they had just seen and betting pools were already being formed on when the mammal would be caught. Nick glanced at Judy before sighing and rubbing his head. "So carrots, daily drug busts, suspenseful car chases, new "super" mammals popping up in odd places. Why didn't you warn me before asking me to sign up, huh? Judy just rubbed the temples of her head before thinking 'Man, why is everything going crazy?'

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 **A/N: Any typos or blatant grammatical mistakes let me know. Thanks!**


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: So this is basically a sort of transition chapter that has later ramifications. Cant wait to start writing the next one as it involves John's escape and fighting which I really enjoy writing about. Also, if how I planned this turns out the way I think it will, John will suffer, like... a LOT. I am such a sadist. But that comes later.**

* * *

Chapter 8: Homecoming

Jacob sat on the cold tile floor of the bathroom leaning against the door, ears drooped. Lost in his own thoughts, he didn't notice the noise of someone walking into the room until they proceeded to move the chair blocking Jacob from escaping. Jumping to his paws, Jacob stood back as the door was opened revealing a couple of mammal officers staring in surprise at the bunny. Noticing the matted fur under Jacob's red eyes, the two larger police mammals, another wolf and a lion, asked with concern "Excuse me sir, are you alright, did that mammal hurt you in any way?"

Jacob knew right away what they were referring too and responded with a sad look "No, I'm alright…" before looking into the two officer's eyes with determination and anger "…And you guys are chasing an innocent mammal. My name is Jacob Hopps, and that mammal saved my life". Jacob was led by two very distracted officers past lines of crime scene tape directly to their Chief. Along the way, the two mammals occasionally glanced back at the bunny, who was following them with his eyes downcast and ears lowered, before looking back at each other with looks of curiosity and wonder.

They were briefed months ago about a helicopter crash where they found the bodies of everyone except one mammal, that one mammal happened to be a bunny named Jacob Hopps, the first bunny Ranger trainee ever, which was notable enough for them to remember. Now, they find said bunny, months after he went missing in the Wilds, locked in a bathroom claiming that the mammal they were sent to apprehend, one who had threatened the life of their fellow officer, was innocent. They didn't know what to believe anymore, and decided it was above their pay-grade to figure out, hence they were taking him to the Chief.

Returning from the chase, the eleven cars that went after John were all pulling around the motel and parking with the police mammals getting out and milling about, holding off nosy mammals and reporters while the police detectives did their thing. The wolf that John had held hostage could be seen getting medical attention, sitting on a portable bench outside nearby emergency vehicle. The polar bear was being lifted by two identical strong looking tiger EMT's onto a stretcher and hoisted into the back of the ambulance while a female deer was cleaning and examining the snout and scruff of the wolf, both of which happened to still be bleeding, while he occasionally let out small whines from the pain.

Jacob absorbed everything he saw, trying to piece together what had transpired. He knew about John fighting the wolf and polar bear, but not about what happened once he left the building. The disgruntled and unsatisfied looks of the officers combined with the puffed up fur on others led him to believe that John got away as they approached the Chief who was talking to the injured white wolf with a paw on his shoulder. A rare look of genuine concern could be seen in his eyes, before it was quickly extinguished when the two officer brought forth Jacob.

"Who are you?" started the Chief with a surly tone as the bunny was ushered forward. Not happy with the outcome of today's events, the Chief did not want to deal with any more interruptions.

Feeling injustice for his friend, Jacob replied curtly, raising his ears in defiance "Only the friend and companion of the mammal you tried to apprehend like a criminal even though he did nothing wrong!"

"Oh?" The wolf raised an eyebrow down at the smaller bunny wearing beat up camo clothes who was staring right back with fire in his eyes.

The two officers who brought him forward gave each other looks before they backed what Jacob said "Chief, this bunny was found locked in the bathroom in the room the mammal we were supposed to apprehend. They were sharing a room"

The Chief looked at his officers before returning his attention down to the bunny and asked in a professional manner "Are you alright? Did that mammal hurt you?"

Taken aback at this response, Jacob recovered while rambling "No! What? Of course not! He, I mean, John saved my life, he is my friend" Looking back at the Chief, John steeled his nerves and narrowing his eyes again before speaking "It's your men's fault! If you hadn't scared him by demanding he come with you, none of this would have happened!" To say the Chief was bitter of that remark would be an understatement.

'Why do they always accuse us of being the bad guys?' thought the Chief resentfully. Surrounding officers who had been listening to their conversation gathered around, irked at what the bunny had said and silently demanding to hear his explanation with pissed off faces. Jacob glanced around himself, now surrounded by officers many times larger before returning his attention to the Chief. If it had been before he met John, he would have become bashful, lowering his ears and shrinking away from all the attention.

Having survived the blizzards, his tenacity had grown immensely, and he spoke loudly with an unwavering voice, recalling what John had explained to him.

"The mammal you tried to seize is known as a human. His scientific name is "homo sapiens" and his name is Johnathan Miller. Why you couldn't have just asked him instead of trying to arrest him is beyond me…" finished Jacob with a "hmph". The encompassing officers all looked at each other while whispering trying to think if they had ever heard of such a mammal before.

Holding up his paw, the Chief yelled "QUIET!" to the officers before returning his contemplative gaze to the bunny and speaking in a direct manner "Bunny…what is your name?"

Jacob looked up with a weary look and began a lengthy explanation hoping to preemptively answer their inevitable questions "My name is Jacob Hopps, the bunny who went missing months ago when our helicopter crashed in the Wilds. My life was saved when John, the mammal you all tried to arrest…" he said while looking around "…rescued me from being eaten by a pack of wild wolves"

Jacob began to smile while thinking about their shared experiences. "He saved my life, I get to go home…but now he is being hunted like a criminal. You tell me Chief, does that sound fair to you?". It was quite a sight to see… a bunny surrounded by mammals many times his size talking down to the Chief of Police in front of all his officers. They couldn't help but respect him for that, despite being cross about what he said, as it was not every day a bunny stood up for himself like this. The Chief, being the Chief, just ignored the question and went straight to the heart of the matter:

"If what you say is true, we are going to need you to come with us as a witness. Please follow me"

John was lead to the Chief's vehicle where they got in and drove to the police station. The ride back was short and devoid of any conversation. The sun was still shining brightly through the window, contrasting with Jacob's dark mood. When they arrived, Jacob was lead through the huge glass double doors of the rather large but bland station and into an interrogation cell that smelled of disinfectant where he was told to wait until the Chief returned.

Exiting the room with the sound of a closed iron door, the Chief left Jacob to his own, who just sat there twiddling his paws on the cold metal table, his nose twitching as he grudgingly thought 'They couldn't have put me in a more comfortable room, it's not like I'M a criminal'. Meanwhile, the Chief was heading to his office to grab some paper and a clipboard when the front desk dispatcher called over to him.

Walking over, the Chief quickly spoke with annoyance "What is it Officer Brown? I'm busy!"

Officer Brown, a large (chubby) but friendly looking musk ox ignored the bad attitude of the Chief and instead responded with "Hello Chief, I got something you might want to see…" before reaching underneath the circular desk and grabbing a file. Handing the file to the Chief, the musk ox spoke "This was faxed to us this morning" while the Chief proceeded to flip through the contents with his paw before his tail started twitching while he was reading.

"This is…certainly interesting. Thank you Officer Brown" he finally spoke.

The musk ox just beamed at him while replying "No problem sir! Happy to help!". The Chief walked away, the bright smile from his much too jovial dispatcher blinding him. Reaching his office, he walked to his organized desk, grabbed a clipboard, pen and paper, and returned to the holding cell without looking Officer Brown in the eye.

Before putting his paw on the door, he glanced at the folder in his hoof one last time before thinking 'This just got much more complicated' and turning the handle. Stepping inside, the Chief sat down across from Jacob who was glaring back at him before tossing the file onto the table and speaking with a stoic face "You have got some serious explaining to do"

Jacob was kind of surprised at himself. First, he handled those police officers without backing down and now he was completely unmoved by the intimidating nature of this so called "interrogation". The Chief noticed that Jacob had a completely steadfast air about him, so he opted for a softer approach to the impending question knowing full well that outright demanding answers will get him nowhere.

Speaking softly, the Chief began "Look Jacob, yesterday I received a call from General Petraeus, head General of the AUA authorizing me to apprehend a certain mammal who not only is an unregistered type of species, but also a possible public safety risk. That was all I was told, and naturally, my duty is to protect citizens so we can't have some mammal who is a public health risk running around. He was to be apprehended so he could be examined by the doctors and scientists of the Mammal Wellness department of the ASRA where they would make sure he wasn't carrying any harmful pathogens or diseases…"

The Chief sighed as he paused before continuing "…Now that mammal, the one you call John, is loose in the Wilds and we still don't know anything about him other than what we have seen. The military is bound to take action to capture him which could have all been avoided if he just came quietly…" The Chief looked John right in the eyes before finishing "Now, in order to better understand, I need you to tell me everything you know about the mammal. You said he saved your life? Well if you want to help him you need to help me so that we might find a better course of action. What do you say?"

Jacob considered everything the Chief had said. A myriad of different emotions passed through Jacob's eyes as he actually considered telling the Chief about John. Eventually, he gave in, knowing that only by telling them about him could something be done about them trying to capture him. Glancing at the camera in the top corner of the cell and to the two-way mirror on his left, he knew that everything he said would be recorded.

As if it was an incredibly hard decision, John sighed loudly before agreeing in an exasperated voice "UGH! Fine, but you need to promise me that you will consider trying to help my friend once I'm done"

The Chief, making no promises, simply replied while nodding "I will do what I can". Looking at the Chief, the bunny tried to get a read on the wolf, hoping that he was being truthful. Being the Chief wasn't easy, and the wolf had perfected his professional mask letting no emotions slip through his countenance. Jacob gave up knowing that he was just wasting time and proceeded to begin "Ok, let me start from the beginning…"

Jacob went into detail about the past couple of months, describing everything from the helicopter crash all the way to when they found the ranger station. He left nothing out, even the parts about the hunts, the gangsters, and John cooking himself on the electric fence. The whole time, the Chief didn't make any noise or interrupt in any way opting to just sit and listen quietly while intermittently taking notes with his pen. Occasionally his ears would flick or his tail would twitch, but Jacob had no idea what that meant since he didn't know the wolf very well.

At the end, Jacob finished with an exhale "…And that's about everything". Jacob viewed the wolf, hoping to see some kind of reaction, but the wolf kept his stoic face.

"Well…" began the Chief, rubbing his muzzle thoughtfully, "…That certainly is an amazing story. It even coincides what the Ranger police units discovered early this morning". Reaching for the folder that Jacob forgot was even there, the Chief pulled out a couple of papers before sitting them in front of Jacob. Digging further in, he pulled out two pictures and placed them in front of Jacob who instantly recognized them.

Picking up the pictures while scanning them, Jacob thought 'Aren't these the gangsters we came upon who tried to kill us?'

"Last night a mammal named Will, the moose you met at the station, turned in four briefcases filled with over a million dollars' worth of various illegal drugs along with the ID's of five mammals. The mammal explained what you just told me earlier, that you claimed to have run into these thugs on your return trip and proceeded to fight them off in self-defense when they discovered you. Early this morning, before our little "fiasco", our friends in the Ranger Police force made a trek towards the general area you and your friend claimed to have encountered them. Tracking the scent of blood in the air, they came upon the scene"

Pointing at the paper, the wolf continued "The report in front of you is everything they saw and documented. They discovered gruesome stab wounds in four of these mammals with clear intent to kill and they were all in vulnerable parts of the body such as the neck and chest. The last mammal only had a single gunshot wound to the chest which he bled out from. Even more interesting is the fact that several bullets were discharged which was evidenced by the several shell casing that were found. Now… could you please explain to me how one mammal was able to take down a wolf, rhino, pig, panther, and camel without so much as a single injury, especially when three out the five were armed with guns?"

Jacob didn't know how to explain this in a way that didn't make himself seem mentally unstable, so he decided to go for an easy out "I really don't know, I was unconscious the whole time".

The wolf just looked at him with a disappointed expression before saying "I see… that's quite a shame, I personally would have liked to know that". Reaching over the table, the Chief picked up the two pictures and report before stuffing them back into the folder.

Looking back at Jacob, the wolf spoke some more "I really don't know what to think about this so called "human" but I believe Animalia owes him a small thank you". Jacob's head snapped towards the wolf with a look of surprise. That was seriously the last thing he expected the Chief to say.

"Why?" was all Jacob could voice out, the Chiefs statement leaving him tongue-tied.

The Chief explained in great detail: "Three of the five deceased mammals, the wolf, rhino, and camel, were all small time thugs wanted for various misdemeanors and felonies ranging from petty to serious such as assault, robbery, arson, unlawful possession and distribution of drugs, etc. The pig and the panther on the other hand, are a different story. The pig's name was Tyrone Hamilton, age forty-seven, listed as #137 on Animalia's most wanted. He was wanted for seven accounts of first-degree murder, three reported rape charges, and works as a personal aide to an even bigger fish, among countless other crimes. He was wanted dead or alive, and he had a bounty of 20,000 dollars. The panther's name is Felix Hendrix, age thirty-eight, #189 on Animalia's most wanted. He was wanted for four accounts of first degree murder, sixteen accounts of arson, eleven accounts of armed robbery, the list goes on and on. He also had a bounty of 12,500 dollars and worked as a professional distributor for a certain mammal we have been trying to catch for a long time. Their bodies have been identified and their supposed involvement together has opened a Pandora's box of possibilities. So yes, we owe your "friend" a small thank you for taking care of these scum"

Jacob wanted to laugh, thinking 'I guess John doesn't have to worry about money anytime soon, but how is going to collect it?' Jacob asked himself remembering that his friend was being hunted. "So… what now?" asked Jacob carefully, not sure of what else to say.

"Now…" began the Chief, "You go home".

Jacob was shocked and managed to croak out "Wait… THAT'S IT? I just go home!?"

"Well yes…" replied the Chief confused by Jacob's outburst. "You have not committed any crimes and I only brought you here as a witness. We have your testimony on record now, and legally I am only allowed to detain a witness under special circumstances. There were no police deaths or murders, so I do not have the right to hold you here. Besides, I know you have been missing for months and you probably just want to go home". Jacob immediately thought of his family, his parents, god he couldn't wait to see them again, to let them know he was alive.

"But what about John? Is there any way I can help him?" The wolf shook his head, I'm afraid that ship has already sailed. The military is taking care of it now that he has left our jurisdiction". Getting up from his chair the wolf opened the metal door with a loud *Screeee* before gesturing to Jacob that it was time to leave. Jacob just silently walked past and the Chief and him went their separate ways. It felt strange to Jacob as he walked outside the station and stood on the cold sidewalk, the sun shining down on him. Mammals walked by without paying him any attention as he just stared down into the snow.

He was, in simpler terms, back to where he started. He felt uncertain of his future, would he just go right back and attempt to become a Ranger after all he had been through? What was going to happen with John? Jacob didn't know, and he decided that he could ponder all of this later. For now, it was time to head home.

Jacob stepped out of the yellow cab choosing to walk the next five miles to his burrow. Paying the driver, he began a slow paced walk down the sidewalk. It had taken him all day to get here from Polar City, most of it spent on the train after withdrawing some cash money from a local bank which turned out to be a fiasco. Luckily, he explained his situation to the branch manager and he was allowed to withdraw a couple hundred dollars after giving them his memorized account number and info.

Now here he was, back in Bunnyburrow at dusk, wearing the same clothes as when he left, except now they were worn and torn with stains all over them and the big backpack was gone. He looked like a homeless rabbit, but he really didn't care about the stares and whispers of other bunnies as he walked through the town and down the road towards his burrow. The earthen smell and nice warm breeze blowing through his fur brought back a ton of pleasant memories of farming as he took in the sight of field after field of growing crops. Cars would drive by with their passengers staring in curiosity at the homeless looking rabbit who was walking with a nostalgic smile on his face.

Jacob couldn't help but feel that he had changed in some way, but he was hard pressed to put a paw on what. 'Hell, after all the shit I have been through I would be surprised if I stayed exactly the same' he thought to himself while considering seeing a psychologist. After about four miles, he could see his home in the distance illuminated by a porch light, the sign in front of him reading "Hopps' Family Farm". He sat down on the side of the road, unwilling to continue as though there was an invisible force field preventing him from getting closer.

After all this time thinking of getting home, here he was, so close, and yet he felt TERRIFIED. He didn't know what he would say, how he would explain what happened. For a horrible moment, a terrible thought passed through his mind that maybe they wouldn't even want to see him, but he shook the thought away. 'Screw it all, whatever happens, happens' he thought while standing up and brushing the dust of his pants. Ears raised high, he walked the last mile towards the front porch of his home with a confident strut.

His false bravado only lasted him up until he got onto the porch where the large pink double doors leading into the burrow stood. His ears were down, and he felt nauseous at the thought of seeing his family who probably still thought he was dead. Nervously, he rang the doorbell.

After a small eternity, he heard a familiar voice speak loudly "Hold on! I will be right there!" Jacob felt a lump form in his throat, it was his mother's voice. Hearing the sound of a deadbolt sliding, he stepped back and watched as the two doors opened revealing an attractive middle aged doe wearing the same exact clothes Jacob remembered her wearing when he left. She started speaking "Sorry about that sir, I was just putting the little ones too…" her voice died in her throat as she looked up.

Jacob just stood there clenching his paws at his sides unsure of what to say as he stared back at his mother. His mother looked like she had seen a ghost, which was accurate considering the situation. After about thirty seconds of awkward silence and staring, Jacob cleared his throat and spoke in a raspy voice "H-Hi mom, I told you I would make it ba…" he was tackled before he could finish, right onto the dirt ground. "OW! Mom what are you…" he was silenced as she pulled back from him while she looked him over with eyes full of fear which surprised Jacob. He looked into her eyes as she pulled him into another hug and sniffed the top of his head.

Realizing he was real and not a phantom of her imagination, Bonnie Hopps broke down, sobbing as she wept "M-MY BABY BOY! YOU'RE ALIVE" and held Jacob in a choke hold while crying loudly as if she was afraid he would disappear. Jacob felt all his nervousness vanish and it was replaced with powerful mixed emotions. Still on the ground, Jacob returned his mother's embrace before he put his head on her shoulder, crying silently as her emotions rubbed off on him. Quietly whispering into her ears, he said two words that he had wanted to say for a long time "I'm home!"

30 Minutes Later, A Certain Police Chief's Office

"Yes ma'am, I understand…Yes ma'am she is fine, she is currently finishing her report for the day…No ma'am, I have no idea why he hasn't answered her phone…Yes…Yes ma'am I will be sure to let her know *click*. Chief Bogo rubbed his eyes with his hooves. 'Why does she always contact me when she can't get ahold of her daughter' glowered the Chief. The Chief did not like to be bothered with matters that did not concern police business during work hours, yet somehow a certain police officer's parents had both his work and personal phone numbers on speed dial.

'How did she even get my cell phone number?' the Chief had asked himself, rather disgruntled by it. Snorting in annoyance, he glanced at the clock where it read 6:45 PM and thought about how he would break the news to his smallest officer. After the Nighthowler case, the Chief quickly began to grow fond of his new officer, naturally never letting it show. She really proved to him that he shouldn't underestimate mammals based on their size or species, even forcing him to admit to himself that he had been biased.

She had also become a sort of lovable mascot for the ZPD, not to disparage her in any way, but she was so insanely likable and adorable (which was never to be said to her face) that very few people, both officers and civilians disliked the small officer. Her cheerfulness was so ubiquitous, that when she became depressed, it actually affected the entire ZPD. Everyone would notice when she was sad or angry, so the month after she had heard the news of her brother's death was awful. Her depression actually affected other officers who had gotten used to her being her cheerful self, especially Clawhauser.

Luckily, she had her infuriating, in Bogo's opinion, fox partner. A vein bulged on Bogo's forehead when he thought of Wilde. Although he grudgingly admitted they made an excellent team and that the fox's quote unquote "charm" added a new flair to the atmosphere to the ZPD, the endless pranks and snarky attitude really got on his nerves. He was thankful, however, that the fox managed to pull his partner out her depression, god knows how.

'It's like they were made for each other. I don't care though' thought the Chief shoving the thought from his mind. He had much more pressing matters to deal with such as dealing with a new drug showing up on the streets. Deciding he would get it over with quickly, he pressed the intercom button yelling sternly "Hopps! Wilde! My office. NOW!"

"So what do you think he wants with us now?" asked Judy in exasperation as she walked towards Bogo's office, report in paw. Nick mused to himself for a moment while his black-tipped ears twitched to the amusement of Judy. 'They are so cute when they do that' she thought while stifling a giggle'

"Well, I would say it's to either give us early Valentine's day cards or to yell at us for how we handled the raccoon earlier today" voiced Nick with sarcasm.

Judy audibly groaned before she spoke "He tried to attack us, we acted in self-defense. There shouldn't be any problem"

"I think Chief's problem won't be about that, but rather how he managed to get boiling oil poured all over his back" remarked Nick offhandedly.

"That was his fault! He tried to escape through that fast food place and when we cornered him he leapt at you and knocked the oil onto himself!" spoke Judy indignantly. She knew somewhat how it would go down. They would go in, Bogo would ask with that stern glare that could peel paint off walls, how they managed to "fill-in-the-blank" before Nick would make a snarky comment to which Bogo would tell him to "Shut it!" and Judy would step in and give a reasonable explanation to which Bogo would reluctantly accept and tell them to "Get out!". Textbook scenario.

"Alright partner, you ready?" asked Judy playfully as they reached the office.

"Promise you will visit my tombstone once a year?" replied Nick in faux despair. She punched him in the arm at which he pouted at before she knocked on the door. Meanwhile, Clawhauser just sat at his desk, watching their antics while sighing dreamily.

"Come in!" spoke a grumpy deep voice.

'Sounds like he is in a "wonderful" mood' they thought in unison as Nick reached up and was barely able to grab the handle and open the door. They stepped in, and could immediately feel the pressure the gaze of their Chief was putting on them. Saluting while standing at attention, they elected to wait for the Chief to speak first. The Chief just kept his glare focused on them, not lowering the intensity in the slightest.

The silence almost became unbearable, until Bogo decided he would speak first. "Do you know why you are both here?" he asked in a calm tone, one with which a storm usually follows after.

"Did you finally find out I posted the video of you dancing at the Gazelle concert?" Nick offered.

"What!? No…WHAT DO YOU MEAN YOU POSTED…!" the Chief cut himself off, angered that he was thrown through a loop again by his most irritating officer. "Never mind…Wilde, if you don't shut up this instant, you will have parking duty for two weeks". Nick wisely shut his mouth, unwilling to go through that "hell" as he thought of it.

Judy just glared at Nick with exasperation before offering "Is it about the raccoon sir?"

Bogo turned his attention to Judy, his glare softening a fraction as he spoke "No, although I do have some grievances with your methods, that is not the reason I called you both here". Now the duo was officially confused, looking to each other for answers as they could not think of any other reason why they would be called here OTHER than the raccoon. Chief Bogo had a light go off in his head, a plan that would get both these two out of his hair for some time which he desperately wanted. Nothing going through his mind showed on his face as he kept his stoic gaze trained on his two small officers. Giving them both a smile, one that gave them goosebumps, he spoke in an almost friendly tone that seemed extremely unsettling to the fox and bunny.

"You two are officially on vacation for three days starting tomorrow. Officer Hopps, you are to report to your home immediately. Officer Wilde will accompany you for support"

The two officers looked at each other, puzzled at the unusual orders. Judy looked at the Chief and asked what they both were thinking:

"Why?"

"Because, Officer Hopps, your brother, the one who supposedly died in the Wilds, showed up there less than an hour ago" Bogo stated, as blunt and direct as ever. He took immense satisfaction at the looks of pure shock on both of their faces. Finishing his "orders" and putting his reading glasses back on, he roared "NOW GET OUT OF MY OFFICE!".

Jacob just walked through the burrow in a daze as he proceeded to the dining space. It was a unique feeling, everything seeming so familiar yet so foreign at the same time. After their little episode on the porch, his mother told him that the little ones were asleep and she instructed him to go to the kitchen while she grabbed Stu. She told him that they would announce his return in the morning so he could have time to "re-adjust himself to the burrow" as she put it. Jacob ran his paw over the mural wall, chuckling as he walked past it.

It was a wall which was specifically for coloring on, an outlet of creativity for the littler kits. He wasn't able to go completely unnoticed, older Hopps members stayed up later and several were shocked when they saw him. They had all been to his funeral so they know he was supposed to be dead, but here he was, standing in front of them. Several of his younger brothers and sister fainted when they saw him, much to his amusement, while others came up to him giving him hugs of joy and asking what happened.

He waved them all off, telling them that he would explain everything tomorrow when his mother announced his return. They left him, running to their rooms, likely to spread the word amongst the older kits that he had returned home. Jacob, reaching the kitchen, pulled out a bottle of orange juice and poured himself a glass before sitting down at the table. He drank it all in one fell swoop thinking 'This is the best damn orange juice I have ever tasted' since he was denied fruits and veggies in the Wilds, with the notable exception of wild berries which were always bitter.

Waiting for a few minutes, he heard a commotion outside the kitchen door and he stood up just as Stu Hopps burst into the room in what looked like a panic. Swinging his head furiously, Stu spotted his son standing next to the kitchen table before running up to him and crushing him in a bear hug.

"OH SWEET HEAVENS, ITS REALLY HIM! HE IS ALIVE!" he rejoiced as he swung Jacob around in the air.

Stu was stronger than he looked, having worked the farms for so many years, so his hug was literally squeezing the air out of Jacob who was wheezing "D-Dad! P-Please stop!"

"Oh sorry" Stu said as he put him down…only to crush him again in another hug before he started crying. Any other time Jacob would be annoyed by this, but not today.

Patting his dad on the back, Jacob spoke soothingly as if to a little kit "It's ok dad, I am alive and I'm safe". Eventually, Stu stopped crying and backed off his son before putting a paw on his shoulder.

Recollecting himself, Stu spoke to him "It's already late, so we will announce your return tomorrow so why don't you go to the guest bedroom to sleep" Stu's face dimmed as he continued "We thought you died, so we already cleaned out your room, your stuff is in storage. Tomorrow we will put everything back. I know you are probably tired, so we will leave your explanation till tomorrow… Stu broke down again hugging his son. He just couldn't believe that his son, the one who had gone missing in the Wilds, returned home safely. It truly was a miracle. Bonnie joined in and Jacob felt blissful, being hugged again by his parents.

After some time, they broke the hug and Jacob wished his parents goodnight before heading to the guest room. The guest room in the Hopps household was designed to have mammals much larger than bunnies overnight, up to the size of a deer or wolf, so when Jacob entered the sparse room he was met with a gargantuan sized bed. Taking off his backpack and his shirt, he settled onto the bed while memories of everything that happened flowed through his mind.

He realized something that eclipsed his good mood, his missed John. They had been stuck together like glue for so long and now in the span of a day they were separated and John was being hunted like a criminal. 'Tomorrow, tomorrow I will figure out what to do' he thought as he closed his eyes and attempted to sleep. Taking a long time to actually fall asleep, mostly because he was used to having John by his side, Jacob eventually found peace the in bed many times his size.

Jacob had never recalled a wake-up call more exciting than this morning. When he woke up, he felt something tickling his nose which caused him to involuntarily sneeze. Sitting up with a start, he noticed a fluffy mass surrounding him, all his little brothers and sisters. They all screamed in delight when they noticed he had woken up and a bunny older than the rest commanded:

"HE'S AWAKE! GET HIM!

As the surrounding bunnies mobbed him and began lifting him up and out of the bed. Jacob was already laughing at the chaos and the older kits stood outside watching and giggling as he was pulled out of the room and lead towards the Hopps family room. He had managed to grab his camo shirt and put it on in the ensuing chaos. As he was pulled along by a sea of small bunnies, he was finally forced through the double doors into the Hopps Family room where he was greeted by a sight of hundreds of bunnies all laughing at his predicament, the sound was deafening as it looked like the entire burrow was present with the exception of some of the oldest.

Hauled up to the little podium that was there for burrow family announcements, Stu, already standing on the podium, pulled his arm around Jacob and announced loudly "JACOB IS ALIVE! HE HAS COME HOME!". Despite most of them already knowing about it, the crowd of bunnies cheered wildly, some were even crying tears of joy. Jacob never felt more loved than in that moment, and it was a feeling he would never forget. Stepping off the podium, he was immediately accosted by several of his family members all asking him far too many questions to answer.

He gave all the surrounding bunnies a very brief explanation in hopes that he could first tell his parents the WHOLE story who would then relay it.

"Long story short, my life was saved out there in the Wilds. I would have died if it wasn't for him". Unfortunately, that just made all his little brothers and sisters more curious since it was such a vague explanation.

"Who was it?"

"What kind of mammal was he?"

"Was he a tiger, Tigers are cool!"

"Can we meet him?"

Several voices all spoke up at once overwhelming him. Out of the corner of his eye, Jacob saw his brother Lester push through the crowd and immediately embrace him. "You're an idiot, you know that, right? Said Lester as he pulled away his paws still on his brother's shoulders. The two brothers had been best friends since they were kits. Words did not need to be said to understand how each other were feeling.

Jacob just smiled sadly and replied "Yea, I know"

*BOOM!*

Every bunny in the place turned their attention to the front of the family room where the double doors were just slammed open. Standing there was a bunny in a police uniform wearing a look of…pure fury. She stormed in, ears raised high, and proceeded to walk slowly towards Jacob. Jacob felt his instincts screaming at him to run, but he couldn't as he was frozen in fear from her gaze. She walked right up to him, the crowd of bunnies parting like the red sea to allow her access. Walking right up to her brother, Judy just stood there with her foot thumping against the ground with a scowl on her face.

Jacob offered "Hey Judy, um, how have you been…" before she slapped him across his face. Jacob was stunned, until she pulled him into a bone crushing hug, Jacob not believing that she could be this strong.

"You deserved that for making us worry, we… we really thought you died, idiot" she breathed out in sorrow.

"Family comes first" was a mantra preached in the Hopps household. Family was valued above all else so when one of their own was announced dead, it took a toll on everyone in the household, even the headstrong Judy Hopps. It was bizarre to Jacob, to see his celebrity sister who had dealt with the worst of society, sniffling as she held him. Jacob didn't think that his supposed death would have hurt everyone so much.

'I guess I really owe John for this' he thought solemnly. He looked up and saw a red furred fox walking through the crowd of bunnies towards where his partner was.

When Nick arrived after dodging several smaller kits trying to grab his tail, he looked Jacob up and down before speaking "Well junior Ranger, you lost the sticker I gave you. Gonna have to charge you for it" Jacob just chuckled as Judy pulled away and socked her partner in the stomach who elicited a small whine while pretend wheezing

"Police brutality! I'm gonna file a complaint! This abuse shall not stand!"

Without missing a beat, she quipped back "We're not on duty slick, now…" She turned back to Jacob "What happened?"

All of the adult rabbits and one fox were seated around a large dining room table, situating themselves so that they could all hear Jacob with Judy sitting right next to him. After extricating himself from the large gathering of bunnies, the patriarch started issuing orders and chores for the day, most of which involved tending to the crops. Right now, the matriarch, Judy, and several older bunnies from the first and second litter were all gathered to hear what Jacob's story, as they were all asking themselves the same question: 'How in the hell did he survive?'

Jacob sat there waiting for the group to settle in before his mother pulled out a camera and placed it on the table, aiming it at Jacob.

"What's that for?" Jacob asked curiously.

Planning ahead, Bonnie said with a motherly smile "So you don't have to repeat your entire story to Stu who is out in the fields right now". Jacob loved his father, but he admitted that he was thankful he wasn't here, he tended to overreact and some events that Jacob was about to tell would definitely set off his short fuse. Rubbing his eyes and mentally preparing himself for what was going to be a long conversation, Jacob felt a paw on his shoulder and looked up to see Judy looking at him with a small smile as if to say "We are all here for you".

Jacob smiled back and cleared his throat loudly, silencing side conversations and bringing the attention of the room to him. Feeling he should just come out with the most important aspect of what had happened, he started with a solemn tone "Ok everyone I will tell you all what happened after the helicopter crashed but I need to tell you all something very important first…" All the room listened in with rapt attention, interested in what he was about to reveal with such a serious sentence. "You have all heard about the "strange new mammal" that suddenly appeared in Polar City?"

The surrounding group all nodded their heads while Judy and Nick scowled at his mention of it. Smiling shyly knowing he was about to shock many of them, he spoke in a quiet voice "Well…that mammal's name is Johnathan Miller…he, um, he saved my life, and is the sole reason I am here today". You could hear a pin drop. The room was deathly silent, for they had all seen what happened that day on the news. Judy and Nick were slack jawed, uncertain about what they had just heard.

Judy was the first to break the silence "BUT…HE…that mammal, he threatened the police! Why would he do that if he saved you?"

"Because he was scared of authority, which stems from something that happened to him back where he came from" Jacob vaguely replied. "I am certain he only threatened the police so he could escape, he wouldn't hurt anyone unless he had too". Judy had trouble with that statement. Having wanted to be a police officer for so long, she wouldn't even dream of being afraid of them. Nick stood by contemplating, and put a paw on the shoulder of his uncertain partner.

"It makes sense carrots…not all of us have had good experiences with cops" Nick reminded her with a soft expression, something that wasn't common. Having grown up living on the streets, he could somewhat understand. Judy looked at her partner and folded her ears back, suddenly feeling sympathetic. Jacob continued, grabbing the attention of the bunnies who were still looking a little rattled at the earlier announcement.

"Ok, now that I got that out of the way…I will tell you everything that transpired, starting from when I got to the helicopter…". Jacob spent three hours recapping everything to his family, going into far more detail than he did at the police station. Every gritty detail from John fighting the wolves and becoming the Alpha all the way to when John killed a wild polar bear. He didn't even leave out the hunts or the fight with the gangsters, which he mostly didn't recall anything but the aftermath of due to being unconscious from "a blow to the head". He never told them he was shot, just like he didn't tell the Chief in Polar City, knowing that would just complicate things.

The faces of the family members were priceless. Their expressions constantly morphed into varying shades of horror and fear when he described the helicopter crash, seeing Max die, being chased by wolves, etc., which both Jacob and Nick found amusing. Nick was just as surprised as the rest of the bunnies, but years of perfecting an indifferent "mask" allowed him to look as cool as a cucumber, despite how shocked he really was. Even Judy wasn't immune, and she adorned the same look as her family members. Jacob noticed that his mother inched closer and closer to him as he went on with the story, almost within grabbing distance as if she believed he was going to just fly away suddenly.

When Jacob finished he was yet again bombarded with various questions pertaining to the wolves and John, but he languidly raised a paw to silence them and said "Guys…I just told you everything and I am kind of tired and a little overwhelmed. I will answer your questions later, but for now…" he looked at Judy, ignoring the perturbed faces of his family members who minds were filled to the brim with questions, and asked "Hey Judy…can we talk…ALONE?" with emphasis on the "alone" portion.

Judy and Jacob left the burrow walking toward a known destination. Outside, the sun was still high in the sky signifying an early afternoon with large poofy clouds that each looked like cotton candy. In the distance, he could see his younger brothers and sisters working in the fields and riding on tractors. Overall, it was another gorgeous day. Upon reaching a white metal gate, he unlatched it and walked into the field of daisies with hundreds of lines of orderly spaced white stones. Each stone bore the name and brief history of each Hopps clan member throughout the ages.

They were ordered so that the newest "additions" would be along the end of each new row, so Jacob quickly found the stone he was looking for…his. Judy just followed him silently, giving him some space that she knew he probably needed. Judy would wait until he was ready to talk. Jacob just stood staring at his grave, his face unreadable as thoughts drifted in and out of his head.

He started slowly with a murmur "Hey, um, Judy…"

"Yes Jacob? You ok?" she softly replied.

"Yea…I'm fine, it's just…it feels so weird looking at my own grave. Like…this could have really been the end of me, a grave without any history. I haven't yet accomplished ANYTHING, and that is how I could have left this world" Jacob sighed before looking at the sky. "Hey Judy…what would you think if I tried to complete my original Ranger training?"

Judy thought really hard about what to say before replying "I would still support you, but I don't think mom and dad would allow it"

"Hehe, I bet you're right about that…" was his response. There was another comfortable silence as Jacob continued to gaze at what would have been his final resting place.

Eventually he spoke up with uncertainty in his voice "Judy… what would you do if the military was hunting someone that you know in your heart is innocent and a good mammal?

Judy did not need much time to think about that as she quickly replied "I would do everything I could to prove to them that the mammal their hunting was innocent". She wasn't dumb, and she knew exactly who Jacob was referring too. "Although at this point, I only think they want him captured so he doesn't pose a public health risk…"

Jacob just scoffed at that while retorting "The hell does that mean? I lived with him in close proximity for over three months and you don't see my fur falling out or anything. They are just being paranoid"

"Well…" Judy spoke tentatively, "I think that they just want to prove he is safe, maybe get him verified by doctors or something"

'Proof…proof he is safe. Well I got video of him saving my life so…' Jacob felt he was struck by lightning. "THAT'S IT" he screamed, startling Judy. Hugging his shocked sister, Jacob yelled "JUDY, YOU'RE A GENIUS" before running as fast as he could back to the burrow. Jacob knew how he could help John. They were chasing him because the public thought he was dangerous, if he could just show the public the kind of mammal John really is, maybe they could influence the military's actions. Jacob had recordings of all his conversations and actions with John which Jacob figured he could use to prove he isn't a threat.

In hindsight, it probably wasn't the best idea, but he really couldn't think of any other way to help. It's not like he had any personal influence over the military. Running through the burrow past his surprised brothers and sisters, he ran into his room and grabbed his backpack pulling out the three black storage cases. 'Gotta upload these to the internet' he thought with newfound purpose. Carrying the black cases, he ran into Lester's room knowing he wouldn't mind before getting on his computer. Logging into his Ranger profile, he opened the black cases revealing the protected wires and hookups inside, which he proceeded to connect to the laptop.

When he was done, he went over to the "Upload Video" user interface before he began to download the video files. Naturally, the computer gave him an estimate of 17 hours to fully download three months' worth of video from three different sources. Little did Jacob know, however, about the storm he was about to unleash.

Meanwhile

"This is LieutenantOlivia, one of our own had picked up the trail of the mammal. We are in pursuit" the female cheetah officer spoke quietly into the radio on her shoulder. She, along with the rest of her squad, were wearing standard military camo uniforms with the AUA logo patch on their shoulder portions of their camo. They were armed with special riot gear weaponry designed for safe mammal takedown which included a rifle that shoots special shock darts designed to ask like Tasers.

Essentially it was like a tranquilizer dart that administered an electric "package" instead of actual tranquilizer, and they were loaded in magazines for multiple shots. Dangerously effective. As a precaution, they still wore the bulletproof vests and helmets with night-vision goggles and each soldier had a lethal sidearm in worst case scenarios. They were well trained and ready to hunt, and they had the means and equipment to do so.

"Copy that, we will redirect towards your position and follow. Keep on his trail" replied the Captain with indifference. The Lieutenant rolled her eyes, for she knew that the Captain was still bitter about being the one selected to catch him.

"We don't need a company of 156 soldiers to capture one mammal!" he had voiced his complaints several times to his superiors to no avail. Alas, he still had to follow orders, even he didn't agree with him. The Lieutenant thought differently. She was a fresh officer out of the Academy and here was her first actual assignment which made her relatively excited. She spoke up as the squad followed the wolf who had caught the mammals scent:

"Private Mane, you are sure you are following the correct scent?"

"Absolutely, he has a scent that I have never smelled before. It's like a sweet and sour pungent smell. I know I have him" he spoke with utmost confidence as his tail wagged excitedly.

"Excellent, keep on it" she replied with an almost giddiness. The beams of light from the sun were piercing through the thick trees as they moved through the forest with precision. Upon reaching a large clearing with a stream running through it and walking around a tree, she saw him. A fur-less mammal wearing a red jacket leaning over drinking water from the stream. The mammal looked up and locked eyes with the cheetah as her body swelled with excitement: 'There he is!' she screamed internally.

"There he is! Catch him", she roared with volume. She heard the fur-less mammal curse before he began to take off. Aiming her rifle, she took a shot at his leg and connected. The fur-less mammal roared in pain as he collapsed due to the electricity induced seizing of his leg. Quickly pulling out the dart, the mammal swiftly got back up and jumped behind a tree just as two more darts landed where he just was. The Sergeant's adrenaline was flowing and she was finding it incredibly thrilling to chase, eager to capture her "prey".

She was incredibly fast, as all cheetahs were, and she was gaining on the mammal who was running from tree to tree to limit his exposure to fire. The cheetah found herself leaving her squad behind since they were not as fast as her, but she didn't care as she believed she could catch him. Despite their yelling at her to not go too far ahead, she didn't heed them thinking she could handle him on her own. She would later regret her hubris.

Speaking into the radio, she began to speak as she chased after the mammal who had disappeared behind another tree "This is Lieutenant Olivia, we have spotted the mammal and are currently in pursu…"

*Crunch*

She didn't get to finish as a paw(?) curled into a fist smashed her in the face from behind the tree, her speed adding to the force of the punch knocking her out cold.

John quickly stepped out from behind the tree he had hidden himself.

'Works every time' he thought absentmindedly as he quickly reached for the rifle she had dropped when he punched her. He knew there was no way to outrun a cheetah at such a close distance, so using his quick thinking, he did the same thing he did with the black wolf a couple of days ago: Hide behind a tree and wait till they get close enough. The cheetah never saw it coming. Quickly examining her, he also took her pistol sidearm and pocketed it before her unit caught up. They saw him standing over the body of their senior officer and they immediately became pissed.

"Sorry about that" yelled John as he turned around to flee, darts flying around him, luckily none of them connecting. The unit approached their officer to make sure she was ok before quickly realizing she was alive. A bear quickly spoke into his own radio "Officer down, condition is unconscious, request backup. Mammal has escaped" John didn't hear anything of what they were saying, but he now knew what he was dealing with. There was no way he was going to escape since they could just track his scent, but John wouldn't give up. After all, his specialty wasn't speed, it was endurance, and gods be damned he wouldn't go down without a fight.

* * *

 **A/N: Any typos or blatant grammatical errors please let me know.**


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: The plot thickens. Poor John, he has no idea what's coming. On a little side note, I made a mistake last chapter so I replaced the cheetah's (Olivia) rank of Sergeant with Lieutenant as that was supposed to be her rank. Little things like that.**

* * *

Chapter 9: Revealed

It started with a child, well… not exactly a child, more like a teenager. A young honey badger surfing the web on his laptop looking at the latest videos of the strange creature that was seen in Polar City. Just like with any major event that happened in Animalia, there were always those who looked at things objectively, and those who would scream "CONSPIRACY!" at every possible explanation. Mammals, most likely youth, argued on forums discussing what occurred claiming that the creature was an "alien" or a government experiment that escaped which is why the military was mobilized to capture him.

In general, despite thorough explanations and convincing dialogue, they all lacked any concrete evidence or knowledge of what "it" was. The teenage honey badger didn't really care, he just listened in for the latest updates or laughed at the newest claims. For him, it was mostly out of amusement that he followed these forums and discussions, enjoying staying up to date on something so exciting. He didn't really care what the mammal was, but he was curious just like everyone else.

*Bing*

A notification sounded and a blinking box appeared on the top right of his computer screen.

"FINALLY!" the teenage honey badger exclaimed in excitement. Immediately clicking on the icon that appeared. He was taken directly to the Ranger home page where current and past Rangers have uploaded their videos of their excursions into the Wilds. It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say he was a big fan of their videos, having been watching them ever since he was a kid and having many posters of them on his wall. He loved the excitement and thrill that seeing wild mammals act, well, "wild" had. Being a predator, he had always been told to act calm and peaceful around smaller prey to avoid startling or scaring them which, over time, made him feel quite stifled, an affliction which was most prominent in child predators at his age.

He would often satiate his need to feel stimulated via watching well edited snippets of wild predators in action, although he never told anyone for fear of frightening his friends, most of which happened to be prey. Knowing they wouldn't understand what he was feeling, he considered his hobby a "guilty pleasure", one that he loved to indulge in. Unfortunately, blizzard season meant the recall of all Rangers which meant nothing new was going to be posted for a long time, having already watched everything the Rangers collectively uploaded that year.

Being an avid follower of the website, he set up his settings so he would get notifications whenever a new video was posted, hence his current excitement.

'Oh finally! Something new… wait…what the crap is this!' thought the teenager with mild shock. The notification he clicked on lead him to video files under a "Ranger trainee" registered account, one that belonged to a "Jacob Hopps". This was very uncommon as trainees almost never posted their own videos before becoming certified. 'Who the hell is that?' he thought as he glanced down and nearly choked himself with laughter.

Three videos were posted with varying lengths: 2687 hours for two videos, and 2351 hours for the third. The file sizes were even more atrocious. 'What the hell is this bullshit' was the sum of the teenager's thoughts and he couldn't stop laughing. 'Who the hell would post something so fricking long?'

Opening his computer's calculator, he calculated that the first two videos were about 111-112 days long while the third video was almost 97-98 days in length which only made him roar louder with laughter. It was so ridiculously amusing, that he decided he would humor the thought of watching one. Opening the first link, he was greeted with the sight of a black helicopter. The video quality wasn't great but it wasn't terrible either. Watching patiently for five minutes, he soon discovered it was video taken from a GoWild camera strapped to the shoulder of a short/small mammal.

Clearly getting bored of watching the mammal load into a helicopter and make introductions to other trainees, the teenager did exactly what anyone else would do, fast forward. Zooming along with his mouse slowly, the extreme length of the video making every little tick half an hour, the honey badger soon decided that this was stupid…until something caught his eye. A bright flashed illuminated a single tick that he had skipped over, one that made him suddenly curious.

'What was that!' he spoke in his mind with renewed interest as he back-tracked the video. Resuming play, he was met with a very shaky camera and sounds of windy chaos and alarms going off which immediately grabbed his full attention.

"WE'RE GONNA CRASH!"

"WHAT'S HAPPENING!"

"THE HELL IS THE PILOT DOING!"

"WE'RE ALL GONNA DIE!"

The young honey badger was now entranced by the video, unable to look away. He continued to watch until he saw nothing but the sky and tree line turning over and over, realizing that the owner of the camera was thrown from the helicopter.

"Holy shit!" spoke the teenager to no one in particular as he watched the owner of the camera crash down through a tree. The mammal in the video sat up and looked around which meant that he had survived, to the teenager's great amazement.

"AHAHAHAHAHA, I'M ALIVE! FUCK YOU NATURE AHAHAHAHAH!" he heard the mammal scream before the mammal began running to what the teenager assumed was the crash. The teenager watched, his focus unparalleled like he was watching the greatest action movie of all time, as the mammal yelled at the clearly injured snow leopard who was attempting to crawl out of the destruction

"MAX, GET AWAY FROM THE HELICOPTER!"

The teenager felt his heart stop when he witnessed the sparks ignite the fuel leaking from the chopper, and felt his mouth drop open in shock when the helicopter exploded, knocking the mammal to the ground which was portrayed by the sudden camera view of the sky.

The mammal on the video stood up and roared "NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" in absolute anguish. The teenager paused the video, laid back into his desk chair, and thought silently to himself, still unsettled by what he saw.

'What the fuck did I just see?' he spoke silently to himself. Puzzle pieces began to fit themselves in his mind and he quickly recalled something he read about a couple months back. Pulling out his phone, he looked up the news story about a certain helicopter crash. The news story told about a helicopter crash containing eight Ranger trainees, one pilot, and one Ranger liaison/instructor. Everyone died save for one mammal whose body was never found.

'Body was never found because the mammal went missing' the teenager repeated over and over in his mind. He looked at the list of names before his mind went numb and his eyes widened in surprise. The name of the mammal that went missing was "Jacob Hopps", a bunny, the same bunny whose profile the video was on.

'So this is his video, does that mean…does that mean he SURVIVED?'. The teenager was bursting at the seams with excitement. The honey badger didn't know too much about the circumstances behind this video but he figured out one thing: That if it was what he thought it was, the video was a firsthand account detailing a single bunny's survival through blizzard season alone in the Wilds. 'I know what I'm going to be watching this weekend' thought the teenager with giddiness, already eager to watch more.

Sitting on his bed, the teenage honey badger was relaxing, eating caramelized crickets from a bowl while scanning through the video he had watched yesterday. After rewinding and re-watching the explosion scene several times, he decided it was time to see what else this hilariously long video held. All he found so far was Jacob walking slowly through the woods day in and day out with nothing but the occasional wild mammal coming up to Jacob and sniffing him, nothing very interesting.

Being much more careful this time, he skimmed through the video watching each tick very carefully to make sure he wouldn't miss anything interesting. Eventually, the video turned shaky and trees zoomed by, which meant something was happening in the video. Backtracking again, he resumed it only to see a wild wolf staring at Jacob in the distance, a WILD wolf. The honey badger's heart was already beating furiously from excitement. He turned up the volume on his earphones and continued to observe.

Shaking constantly from the fast movements, the video showed Jacob running away from his pursuer as fast as he could, slipping past trees and shrubs to get away from the wolf chasing him.

The honey badger kept watching before he screeched out "WOAH!" when he saw Jacob just narrowly dodge an ambushing wolf that had been hiding behind a bush.

"What's wrong Alan?" the honey badger heard through his earphones.

"Nothing mom, just watching something cool!" he replied casually, slightly annoyed at the interruption.

"Ok, well, keep it down, your father is sleeping" she finished with a loud hushed voice. Rolling his eyes, Alan continued to watch the bunny escape from the wolves, keen on seeing the outcome. The loud breaths and the sounds from the video made Alan feel like he was the one being chased, which gave him an addicting thrill just from watching.

After the rabbit was almost caught by a third wolf, Alan heard him start bawling and shouting "HELP ME!" and then after a few more sobs "OH MY GOD, SOMEONE! ANYONE! H-HELP ME! AHHHHH!". Alan could tell the bunny was desperate and on his last legs from the despair of his shouts, which only captured his attention more.

"WHERE ARE YOU!?" Alan heard someone shout in the video.

'Oh? There is actually someone out there?' he thought as he guzzled down the rest of his crickets like a vacuum cleaner, clearly hyper from the drama.

"COME THIS WAY QUICK, OVER THE HILL" Alan heard the faraway sounding voice yell again. The camera shifted as the bunny changed directions. Alan couldn't see what was behind the rabbit, but he could clearly hear the labored pants of the wolves which only added to the "realism" of the chase. When the rabbit came over the hill, Alan could see a blurry figure at the bottom, but it was way too difficult to make out due to the shaking of the running bunny.

Watching as the rabbit jumped at the blurry mammal full speed, Alan heard Jacob say with relief lacing his voice "Oh my god, I am so glad I found a Ranger, I thought I was a goner. We have to run quick! I am being hunted by a pack of wolves. Do you have any stun darts on you?". The video was black since Jacob was hugging the mammal from the front, smothering the camera which only made Alan infuriated with impatience. He desperately wanted to see who it was.

The bunny was pulled back by the mammal, and Alan finally got to see the face of the mammal. Choking on a cricket, he fell backwards off the bed onto the ground with a *thud*, absolutely too shocked to comprehend what he just saw.

'ITS THAT NEW MAMMAL! WHAT THE HELL? HOW IS THIS EVEN POSSIBLE?' he mentally screamed as he cleared his throat. It took Alan a few minutes to calm down, the stimulation from the video and the sugar from the caramelized crickets making it quite a challenge for the teenager. Eventually, he got back onto his bed and paused the video before rewinding it to the strange mammal's face.

"That's definitely him" said Alan aloud after loading up an older news feed video and comparing the faces. Alan was a very smart kid, but there were too many unknowns about what he was watching so he couldn't come up with many ideas. For a moment, he thought he should tell somebody what he had found, but then he looked back at his computer before realizing there were only like five other hits meaning that very few people had seen what he had just watched.

It was even less likely that anyone else had found this exact moment due to the great length of the video which he concluded would mean that right now, he was the only one who had seen this simply due to the fact that it was past midnight and most mammals were already asleep, save for the nocturnal mammals. Even then, most nocturnal mammals learned to live in a society where the day begins at sunrise so the majority of them were likely asleep anyway. Feeling as though it was his mission to continue, he un-paused the video and watched as the bunny was lifted onto the top of the strange mammal before he took off running away from the wolves.

'This is cooler than any action movie' thought Alan as the duo on camera did their best to escape. The video played out the scene of the strange mammal climbing the tree and Jacob almost falling to his death, which showcased the viscous wolves snapping jaws for Alan's viewing pleasure when the strange mammal caught Jacob by his backpack strap.

Alan continued to watch for a couple minutes before realizing they were not going anywhere which made him wonder 'How are they going to get out of this?'. From what Alan could tell, they were stuck in a tree surrounded by wolves with no means of escape.

Electing to skip through the night till the next day, Alan listened to the two's dialogue before he heard the strange mammal say say "Guess I have to fight them" which surprised Alan just as much as it did Jacob at the time.

Jacob voiced in shock exactly what Alan was thinking: "Are you crazy!? Are you trying to commit suicide! What kind of mammal thinks he can take on an entire wolf pack by himself?".

All Alan heard in reply was "A crazy human, hold this and sit tight bunny!" before he witnessed the human jump off the tree into the surrounding wolves. Despite seeing them on the news, the mammal's claws made Alan shiver when he displayed them.

'Those are nasty looking!' were his thoughts at seeing them up close on video. 'He is soooo dead, how the hell can he fight eleven wolves at once?'. Alan watched, mesmerized by the action, as they began to attack the human with effective pack tactics. Alan started getting riled up himself just from watching, but what was most appalling was when the so called "human" got back up after being mauled while looking completely fine. 'What is this… he should be bleeding all over' spoke logic inside his head, despite reality being different.

Standing back up, the human roared, sending chills down Alan spine while he thought 'AWESOME!'.

Alan heard the Alpha wolf speak "Kill!" again before the human was assaulted for a second time. Alan was watching with intensity, the way the human fought off the wolves by himself was incredible, and it made him look like a "super mammal" which made Alan want to cheer for him. It was survival, and it was always fun to root for the underdog, which was the human in this case. When John was tackled a second time, a wolf biting his neck, Alan thought that was it, before John simply pried to the wolf off and threw him back, making Alan squeal in excitement "So BADASS!".

Alan continued to watch the bloody fight, unable to stop himself despite it being very late, all the way until John killed the Alpha in their duel in a vicious manner and slammed him unto the ground with an almost heroic display of power.

"Ohmygod! Ohmygod! Ohmygod!, I can't wait to post this!" Alan squealed as he immediately began to set up his recording equipment while slipping his glasses on. He wanted to be the first to show people what he had just seen, so he re-wound the video to the start of the fight and recorded it onto his computer. After recording, he immediately loaded it up to his Ewetube account under the video name "Strange new mammal in action!", citing the source from Jacob's post. Sending all his friends a text telling them to look up what he posted, he decided he would stay up all night to see what other gems he could find from the original.

It didn't take long at all for the video to go viral, and it was like a butterfly effect. The next day, Alan's friends checked their texts telling them to look up a certain video that he had posted. They did, only to see exactly what Alan saw, the strange new mammal fighting off wolves, and they spread the word, posting links to forums where they were debating what the "New mammal" was. Within the same day, in only a couple of hours, the video reached over two million hits as mammals spread it around letting everyone know about it on social media.

Pretty soon, other people were looking up the video's source and finding Jacob's ridiculously long posts. Other mammals had the same idea as Alan, to watch to see if they could find anything else interesting. Then, breaking news of Jacob's safe return was announced by ZNN after a press conference was called by Ana Friedkin, who was logistics coordinator for the Ranger Corps. This publicity lead to many others finding out about the video that was posted earlier that day and gave credit to it. The fact that the survivor himself posted it proved that it wasn't a hoax.

After that, more videos were being posted from people who had done what Alan had done. Scenes of John being initiated as the Alpha, him fighting the stag and the moose, him being mauled by and eventually killing a wild polar bear, the run-in with the gangsters (and the aftermath), him being cooked on the electric fence, even a collection of the different conversations he had with Jacob, all revealed to the public. It was an instant sensation, mammals in awe of John's abilities that made him nearly invincible.

Each of the fight scenes had tens of millions of views and were wildly being discussed everywhere. Prey citizens were voicing their legitimate concerns while predators seemed less concerned and more curious. Anyone who had been paying attention quickly learned who and, supposedly, what John was, but it didn't sate anyone's curiosity…they all wanted to know more, like where he came from or if they were any more like him. Eventually, news agencies caught on and reported about the new videos "detailing the survival of a stranded bunny and his unlikely companion".

Within two days, everyone knew about John and how he had saved Jacob's life. Forums discussing him started calling him the "Alpha", since no one knew what exactly a "human" was and he had become the leader of a wild wolf pack. The nickname stuck since it was easier to refer to him as such instead of something like the "human" or the "creature". While the public was going crazy about these new revelations, there were some mammals across Animalia who were interested for different reasons.

Most of these mammals were scientists and mammal biologists who were beside themselves with intellectual curiosity. They immediately wanted to study and interview the new mammal to find out everything about him. His regenerative abilities and claws were causing them to go ballistic, each trying to come up with reasonable scientific explanations of how something like John could exist. There was simply nothing like him on the planet. He was truly one-of-a-kind, and the scientists of the ASRA would give their arms and legs to spend some time "observing" him.

Others wanted to get interviews with Jacob. The third video he posted was revealed to be a recording of the life and habits of wild wolves living in the cave. Footage like this had never been recorded before and mammal behavioral researchers wanted interviews with Jacob to ask him millions of questions about their behavior.

There were, however, other mammals, who had much darker thoughts in mind, much more sinister.

In an unknown location

*THWACK*

"GAHHHHHH!"

*THWACK*

"NNNGH!"

*THWACK*

"AHHHHHHCK! P-PLEASE! MERCY!"

*THWACK*

The roars of a tiger in pain echoed throughout the cell block, causing mammals in the adjacent cells to shiver and cower uncontrollably, covering their ears to block out the screams. Eventually, the cries of pain became whimpers of defeat as the tiger in question no longer had the energy to scream. The sounds of whipping did not slow down though, and the repeating sounds of *THWACK* were making the cell blocks inhabitants cringe with trepidation, some of them knowing that it could have been them. They were now slightly thankful that they didn't resist when they were first brought in.

*Creeeeeak*

The cell door opened to the cage and a female white wolf in a doctor's coat that was covered in blood stepped out while removing red soaked gloves from her paws. She had bloodstains all over her fur, despite wearing a gown, which only made her look far more menacing since the blood contrasted with her white fur in the dim lighting of the underground hallway. The white wolf glanced down the concrete hall toward each of the cells before smiling cruelly.

In a silky voice, one that only made her sound incredibly malevolent, she spoke up "Poor thing, I told him he would regret it if he struggled. *Tsk* *Tsk* *Tsk*, well, at least he served as an excellent example, don't you all agree?" she spoke as if she wanted them to reply. The mammals in the cells only backed up into their respective corners further as if to get away from the evil witch that was taunting them.

"Now if you all don't mind…" she began nonchalantly as if nothing was wrong, "I am a busy mammal and I need to get back to work. Learn to accept your fate. If you're lucky, you might even get someone nice to buy you" she finished with a "sweet" smile before unlocking the cell block entrance and leaving. A male gazelle in the cell adjacent to the tiger gathered his courage and peered through the bars separating them in order to check on the tiger, something he instantly regretted.

The tiger looked like someone had held up a weed-whacker to his entire body. There were rugged uneven gashes along the majority of his front which made it apparent that whatever he was whipped with had sharp barbs on it to increase the pain. The leather restraints on his arms and legs connected to chains against the wall were dyed red from blood. His fur was completely soaked and matted in his own fluids and he was laying there silently on the ground as blood pooled around him, the only signs of life being his very shallow breathing. The gazelle took one look before bending over and vomiting foul smelling bile in the corner of his cell, the mutilation he had seen being too much for his stomach to handle. The gazelle backed away from the bars into the opposite corner before going into a fetal position and sobbing. 'Why is this happening to me…' he thought as he cried.

Stepping past her pair of bodyguards: two different tigers in suits who were wearing expressionless faces and had been waiting patiently, the white wolf was followed out of the hidden bunker through the concrete hallways and into an elevator. Standing in the elevator, the guards made no sounds and kept their stoic faces as the wolf pulled out her phone and began sending messages to potential customers. Being a kingpin in the mammal trafficking business wasn't easy, and she had to make sure her customers were well informed of the "products" she recently acquired.

*Ding*

The elevator opened up into a long well-furnished hidden hallway of her home. Walking over a blood red rug, she immediately headed for the special shower room on the left to wash off the blood and scent. Cleaning and drying herself off, the female wolf changed into the spare clothes she kept in the shower room before exiting it and continuing down the hallway. Opening the locked metal double doors that lead into her study, she walked out closely followed by her bodyguards.

"Return to your posts" she ordered in a bored tone as the bodyguards locked the double doors they just came from and left the office through the front. Not five minutes later, she heard a knocking at her door while she sat at her furnished desk covered in papers, sending out emails to her potential buyers, before she heard an innocent small child's voice say:

"Mommy, can I come in?"

The white wolf reacted quickly, closing her laptop and exiting out of all her emails on the desktop. Making sure nothing revealing was exposed, she shoved the papers into her desk and replied "Yes honey, you can come in" with a tone of motherly softness. She smiled with affection as she watched the door open and a white puff of fur charged at her while jumping into her lap and nuzzling into her embrace. This was her eight-year-old son, her pride and joy.

"Mommy, those tigers are soo meannn…" the child whined as his tail wagged in happiness when she stroked his head. "They won't play with me or say anything even when I climb on them…" the young wolf pouted. The mother wolf just smiled at his as she continued to stroke his head before slowly speaking with a parental tone

"Now Fang…I have told you many times that they aren't there to play with you, they are here for your protection. The little cub just pouted some more, much to his mother's amusement, before making himself comfortable on his mother's lap.

"Mommy, what were you doing? You smell funny…" the cub said with confusion as he sniffed the air around him.

'Damn' thought the white wolf as she smelled herself, detecting traces of blood.

She quickly hushed him saying "Just my job sweetheart, you don't need to know about it" The cub just looked at her with his face in between a frown and a pout which she found adorable. She reached out to pinch his cheeks while he squealed in delight as he tried to push her away, completely forgetting about the strange smell.

"OH YEA… Mommy I want to show you something" he suddenly announced as he remembered why he came in the first place.

"Oh? What is it dear?" she replied with faux curiosity to encourage her son.

"Here look…" said the cub as he reached out and loaded up Ewetube on the desktop. The mother just watched her son, smiling with satisfaction, as she humored him thinking that he was going to show her something benign.

"Look at this mom!" spoke the cub with enthusiasm before clicking play, his mother just smiling while looking at the video, before her smile turned into a line of concentration, before that concentration turned into astonishment. "Hehe, isn't it cool mom?" asked the cub as he looked up at his mom, only to find her making a very serious face, not what he was expecting. "Mommy…are you ok? Fang asked in concern.

"OH" the white wolf broke from her trance and looked down at her son before displaying a genuine smile. "I am fine sweetie, go and play with your toys, mommy has something she needs to do…" she replied while picking up her kit and placing him outside of the office. He immediately ran off, full of energy, while the white wolf walked back to her desk and began to click on more videos. What she was currently watching was utterly fascinating, and ideas, malicious ideas, began to form in her mind.

Right now, she was watching the newly reported mammal fight off a pack of wolves before she played the video of him fighting the polar bear. She watched link after link becoming more and more interested as she witnessed everything recorded about John. Pulling out a special non-traceable phone from her desk, she dialed a pre-recorded number. It rang for about three seconds before she heard someone pick up on the other end.

"Luna…what do you want?" spoke a raspy and unfriendly voice.

"Hello Reginald, do you have what we discussed earlier?" she replied in her sugary-sweet tone.

A low grumble could be heard on the other end before Reginald replied "Yes we obtained the package two days ago. Unfortunately, we ran into…complications. Let's just say that her parents were not too keen on us taking her, so we disposed of them properly. No need to worry though, hehe, we left no evidence"

"I don't care as long as you can't be traced. Did you verify it? Luna spoke with impatience.

A sinister cackle was heard on the other end before she heard him say "Oh don't worry, she is definitely the real deal. Genuine albino wolf. Even has pink eyes. Quite a feisty little thing if I do say so myself"

Luna smiled widely as she replied "Excellent, bring her in. We will go with the agreed upon method of payment, perhaps with a little bonus for finding me such a prize"

Luna was quite ecstatic at her "luck". She prided herself on finding rare types of mammals to sell to the highest bidder. Having "collected" unique specimens along with having a wide variety of common mammals boosted her reputation and is what has allowed her to remain on top of the mammal trafficking industry, along with the fact that she had a knack for avoiding the law.

She honestly didn't care what the fates of her stock were, only how much money they could make her. From what she had heard, many of her "merchandise" were bought to serve as playthings for their captors, even to be eaten by eccentric rich predators. In other cases, her particularly rare finds, such as other albinos, often were sold as "collectibles" for some sick fuck's amusement. Again, she really didn't care, but now she had obtained a truly great prize, an Albino wolf cub. There had only been three other reported cases of an Albino wolf in all of Animalian history, and she was proud that she would be the one to offer such a gem to her clientele for sale.

But now she saw another opportunity, one that could even be greater than an Albino wolf cub, and she had to act quickly before she lost it.

"Reginald…" she began with a hinting tone, "Have you heard about the new mammal spotted in Polar City, the one who is all over Ewetube right now?"

There was a pause at the other end before she heard him bluntly say "No Luna, I know what you are thinking and there is no possible way…right now that mammal is currently being hunted by the military. There is no way to get him"

Luna considered this before speaking "Hmm…what if I could keep you up to date on his location? I have my connections in the military you know"

Another pause on the line, one that implied Reginald was thinking about it, before he spoke up "We would have to be quick, in and out. We cannot go toe to toe with the military and if we get caught we're fucked, both of us… but, if we manage to get to him first, I know a couple ways we could escape…but we would need special equipment and a plan"

"Oh don't worry about it, I will take care of everything you need. As for the plan… I trust you know what you're doing. You have been gathering me specimens for quite a while now" she finished with a grin.

"I will drop off the cargo at the usual location, make sure your goons are there to pick it up"

Pausing for a second, Reginald continued with a threatening tone "And don't think this is over. We still have some planning to do, and as for the price, well, we will decide on that later, but I expect it to be worth my while. This will be tough…" before he hung up on his end. Luna sat there putting the phone away and rubbing her paws together with a giddy smile. If she could get her hands on a mammal as unique as this so-called "human", she could earn herself quite a pretty penny and a huge notoriety boost.

Besides, seeing him in action also made her genuinely curious to know more about what he was. 'Well, there will be plenty of time for that, once he is in my care' she thought with a smile that could freeze a river. Walking out of her study, she closed and locked the doors before heading off to her son's room. 'This is going to be fun~' she thought to herself as her tail wagged slowly behind her.

Three days later

"How is this even possible, he must have run over fifty miles non-stop" grumbled the Lieutenant as she rubbed her sore face. Mortified by her embarrassing display three days ago, she vowed revenge on the mammal who knocked her out cold in front of her entire unit. Unfortunately, the mammal they were chasing seem to be able to run endlessly and it was extremely difficult to keep up with him. The only reason they hadn't lost him yet was due to his very unique scent which was very easy to track.

Unfortunately, tracking via scent could only give them a general location as to where he was, and the several other platoons that were with them had spread out to cover a huge area so the mammal couldn't slip past them. They had almost caught him once when the Lieutenant, in her eagerness to capture him, elected to continue to track through the night. They came upon him sleeping, spotting him through their night vision goggles sleeping against a tree, but he was able to escape after being woken up by accident when someone tripped in the dark.

'We were so close' thought the uniformed cheetah in annoyance, as her entire unit was exhausted from the chase. Right now, the Lieutenant had split up her platoon of ten mammals into two groups of five, one led by her and another by an experienced Corporal under her command. Her group consisted of a lion, bear, wolf, buffalo, and of course, her, and she was now restless with the knowledge that the mammal they had been chasing was nearby. This was why she had split apart her group in the first place, because his scent was very strong in this area meaning he couldn't be too far.

Right now, the sun was setting sending sunbeams through the trees illuminating the forest in a beautiful orange glow. The snow from blizzard season had already melted leaving behind only a few lone piles and the dirt ground was soggy and muddy from the excess water. Her group was trudging along through the woods, being as quiet as possible while staying on full alert, keeping their eyes trained on their immediate surroundings. Unbeknownst to them, they were coming close to a particularly tall tree, one which held a particularly special mammal.

John could see everything from his perch, the armed mammals closing in around his location. Hidden by the branches and needles of the tree, he smiled as he saw them looking everywhere around them with the exception of "up", a classic fatal mistake which he prayed earlier that they would commit, which they were doing right now. When he understood there was no way to truly evade them, he had thought of a strategy, one that could allow him to get the jump on his pursuers.

He realized after he was almost caught in the middle of the night that they were tracking him with his scent, which made sense considering they had a wolf among them, and John had the brilliant idea to cover himself in large amounts of mud to dilute his smell. Yup, right now he was shirtless, having ditched the bright red jacket for obvious reasons, with dark brown mud smeared all over his torso, backpack, and jeans, creating a scent blocking mask that he hoped with prevent them from pin-pointing his location.

From what he could tell, it seemed to be working, as the mammals were almost about to pass directly underneath him, oblivious. John didn't want to kill any of them. From what he could tell, they were just soldiers doing what they were ordered to do, and John knew about one key principle when it came to situations like this, having experienced it himself when he was in a gang. If you kill one, ten more will follow, and John already did not like his current chances. As they got closer and closer to his tree, he could faintly make out their whispered conversations:

"Why can't we just let him rot in this god-forsaken forest. Simply leave and increase border security. He can live in this wet and muddy hell for all I care…"

"If only it was that simple…idiot. Just keep a lookout. He could be nearby since Mane says his scent is very strong". John counted five mammals which made him realize something that made him smirk in anticipation, they had split up to cover more ground.

'This might work' he found himself hoping. Focusing the dart gun, the one he had stolen from the cheetah when he knocked her out, he took aim at the lion as he passed underneath the tree. The mammals were spread out around fifteen meters apart from each other forming a line with the lion passing closet to his tree, which made him the first target.

*PFFFT*

John fired a dart at the towards the head of the lion hitting him right in the neck, a good shot.

"GUAHHHHHH" the lion cried out dropping his weapon and falling onto the muddy ground while he contorted due to the electricity. John, seizing the opportunity, jumped off the tree landing next to the lion with a splash before he smashed the rifle right into his temple just below his helmet. The lion let out a yelp of pain as he was knocked out cold, collapsing onto the cold ground.

'One down' thought John as he twisted around to fire at the closest uniformed mammal which happened to be the bear. It all happened in the span of a second. The bear turned towards the source of his comrade's cry only to witness as the mammal, the one they had been chasing, knock him out with a strong blow to the head. Reacting quickly thanks to his training, he growled and took aim, firing two rounds in an attempt to hit him. John, however, still had the advantage. He swiftly moved behind the tree he jumped off of as cover just as the bear fired, the two darts flying past the tree into the background.

John, leaning out from behind the tree, fired three rounds back at the exposed bear who didn't have any cover to hide behind. Two hit him in the body armor having no effect, but the third hit the bear in the meat of his left thigh just above the joint, piercing through the thin camo and electrocuting the poor bear causing him to fall to his knees while he cursed in pain. The bear wasn't down for the count yet, as he still had some control over most of his body. Trying to ignore the electricity coursing through his leg, the bear shakily raised his rifle trying to steady his arms as they shook.

John jumped out from behind the tree, flipping the rifle so he was holding it by the barrel, and slung it overhead towards the bear with all his might. He had heard the *click* sound when he fired his last shot and he knew he was out of darts, meaning that the rifle was now useless. The heavy rifle flew through the air and hit the bear straight in the helmet with an audible *thud* before bouncing off which did nothing more than disorient him for a second thanks to his helmet's protection. Reacting instinctively, the bear had also raised his burly arms to block the incoming projectile. The opening that created was more than enough for John to get close.

The bear was much bigger than John, both in height and weight, but since he was kneeling, John was slightly taller than him. John proceeded to try and knee him in the face using the force generated by his charge, but he underestimated the bear, who quickly held up his rifle like a shield to block. John, crushing his knee into the heavy metal rifle, cried out in pain before grabbing the rifle in his hands, attempting to wrestle control of it from the bear. Fighting for control of the gun, John realized he was losing due to the bears immense strength, so he brought his left hand back and swung with claws now exposed, racking them across the bears face. The bear roared and flinched due to the cuts, accidentally letting go of the rifle.

John, new rifle in hand, backed up a few steps, grinning in victory. The bear, ignoring the bleeding cuts on his muzzle, snapped his back up to see the mammal smirking with the barrel of the rifle pointed right at him. Seeing his disadvantage, he quickly tried to stand, the electric dart in his leg having run out of juice just seconds ago, only to be shot right in the legs again with two new darts. Brought right back down to his knees, again, the bear had his paws on the ground squeezing the dirt, trying to cope with the electricity while groaning in pain. He looked up for one last time to see the mammal rearing his arms up, before John swung the rifle like a bat right into his head, sending him into unconsciousness.

'Two down!' John thought with glee at how this was going, before he felt four sharp impacts on his front. Getting tunnel vision from fighting the bear, John didn't notice the three other uniformed animals approach through the trees which gave the wolf and buffalo a chance to shoot him.

"AAAAAAAAARGHHH" bellowed John as he collapsed onto the ground, gripping the dirt in his hands as he tried to control his body enough to stand and pull out the electric darts. He didn't get the chance however, as he felt two more darts impact him on each shoulder, stopping his attempts to stand while turning his hollering into full blown screaming, his body overcome with extreme electricity which was causing him to convulse along the ground like a fish out of water.

Lieutenant Olivia's face was contorted from fury, her muzzle curled back in anger revealing sharp teeth as she approached the screaming mud-covered fur-less mammal. When she heard the first scream, she immediately ran towards the source with the rest of her unit and arrived in time to see the mammal beat her soldier across the head with his own rifle like a club. While he was distracted, her two soldiers took the opportunity fire two shots each at the mammal, bringing him down, thus ending the hunt much to their relief.

Grabbing Private Mane's rifle, hers stolen and used by the mammal currently on the ground, she ordered the buffalo and wolf "Go and check on Private Brian and Private Mangly" at which they immediately went to inspect their downed comrades. The cheetah just stood by and watched with satisfaction as the mammal that humiliated her, the one who took down her two of her own soldiers, was writhing on the ground in agony.

She heard her soldiers yell to her "Brian's unconscious but alive. No noticeable injuries other than a dark bruise to the head that I can see through his fur. Mangly is alive and unconscious as well, but that bastard did some serious damage to his face. Those cuts are gonna scar up reaaal nice" Their report only stoked the flames of her ire and she angrily shot two more darts into the mammal on the ground, who only twitched in response, already unconsciously laying on his side.

Leaning into her shoulder radio, she reported "This is Lieutenant Olivia. We have captured the fugitive mammal, but we suffered some casualties. Requesting backup and a medic. Sergeant Furden, close in on our position"

"Copy that" replied her Sergeant.

"Well done Lieutenant, we will converge on your position. Hang tight and secure the mammal" she heard the Captain speak with his trademark bored and uninterested tone that made his compliments sound more like sarcasm. Throwing her pack onto the ground, she rummaged inside and pulled out Kevlar rope which she was going to use tie the mammal up. Observing him, she noticed the bulge in his back pocket which she recognized as the pistol he stole from her when he knocked her out. Snorting in disgust, she leaned down to retrieve it, before she felt her feet fly out from underneath her making her yelp out in shock.

John had awoken, far too quickly for her to comprehend, and swept his arm underneath her legs, sweeping her off her paws. She collapsed next to him on her back, her military beret flying off the top of her head, as the mammal slowly stood up. For a split second, they locked eyes. The Lieutenant couldn't recall the last time she felt fear, thinking it had been pounded out of her at the academy, but when she saw the look in his eyes, the dead emotionless look that transcended hate, she felt her skin crawl and her ears involuntarily lowered as the fur on her tail puffed. Standing up to his full height while resisting the two most recent darts, John kept his gaze on the cheetah, who was still to stunned to move, while he pulled out all eight darts from his body and tossed them on the ground, the wounds caused by them healing right in front of the cheetah who just stared in shock.

The wolf, who was only ten feet away performing first aid on the bear, turned around and saw the mammal they had been chasing standing up over the cheetah, as if he wasn't just shot with eight stun darts, enough to disable mammals four times his size. It was too unbelievable, but he didn't have the luxury of asking questions, his officer was currently in danger. John, seeing the wolf pull out his lethal sidearm, hastily picked up the cheetah and held her in a choke-hold before pulling the gun out of his back pocket and pushing it directly against her head.

He yelled at the wolf "Drop it mutt!" who was now pointing his pistol in John's direction, refusing to shoot for fear of hitting the Lieutenant. The wolf was conflicted; he could see the look in the Lieutenant's eyes saying "Don't you dare drop your weapon!" but he wasn't about to risk his superior's life. With a resigned look, he did what he was told, and the pistol fell to the ground with a splash. By this point, the buffalo had also returned and was aiming his shock rifle at John with uncertainty. John simply repeated himself to the uniformed buffalo who glanced at both the cheetah and wolf before grudgingly deciding to follow the wolf's course of action, dropping his rifle onto the muddy ground.

John, still holding the struggling cheetah in a choke-hold, put the pistol back into his pocket before he bent down and grabbed the shock rifle the cheetah dropped and fired one shot at each of the two soldiers, easily hitting them both in their respective legs. Just like with the bear, the mammals went down while grunting in pain, unable to support themselves due to the electric discharge. Firing the last shot into the cheetah's leg, she also went down before John went into action. Leaving behind the cheetah, he ran first at the struggling buffalo who was reaching for the rifle he dropped.

He didn't have enough time however, and John tackled him onto his back before straddling his upper body and laying blow after blow right into the buffalo's face with his punches. The buffalo was incredibly strong and managed to get a few powerful punches in himself which John just shrugged off, but regrettably for him, he was unable to properly fight back due to the dart's effects and John eventually pummeled him into unconsciousness, the buffalo unable to withstand repeated blows to the head. Separating himself from the incapacitated buffalo, John's next target was the wolf, who was now aiming the pistol, the one he had dropped earlier, right at him.

In the heat of the moment, John wasn't about to hide or dodge now that he was in this predicament. It was now win or be captured, and he was not about to be taken down. Acting on impulse, he charged straight at the wolf who was just barely able to ignore the effects of the dart, both arms supporting the pistol in his hand. Deciding that there was no way to safely capture him at this point, the wolf fired once, the bullet hitting John in the stomach slowing him down but not stopping him. The wolf's mind went haywire.

'What the fuck!' he thought as he shot John two more times trying to bring him down, the bullets clearly impacting him in the chest causing John to stumble backwards before he recovered, resuming his charge while roaring angrily from the pain.

'WHAT THE FUCK! HOW IS HE EVEN ALIVE? HE IS A MONSTER!' thought the wolf in panic, his sanity being worn down at the impossibility he was seeing. Taking aim one last time, the wolf had one last hope, and he aimed the gun at John's head just before he reached him. Pulling the trigger, the bullet hit John square in the top of the forehead, causing John's eyes to widen in shock, before he collapsed face down onto the ground two feet in front of the wolf. The wolf breathed out a couple of heavy breaths, slightly traumatized from what he had seen, before he calmed down and painfully removed the dart from his leg.

The darts were designed with special barbs that made them difficult to remove and would cause major bleeding if outright yanked out. They had to be worked out a certain way, something that couldn't be done when fighting like they just had been. Sighing in relief that this was over and the mammal was dead, he stood up and began limping towards the Lieutenant who was still now trying to work out the dart in her own leg.

"Ughhh" Private Mane heard a moan behind him, one that made him freeze with dread and stopped him dead in his tracks. Turning around in horror, he watched as the mammal he shot in the head, THE FUCKING HEAD, slowly stand up while rubbing his skull, giving him a hateful glare. The wolf felt like he was staring at a demon, one that refused to die, and it filled him with terror.

Morale destroyed and completely unnerved despite receiving extensive training (as if training could have prepared him for something like this), the wolf fired the rest of his magazine at the demon who was now running at him again, while roaring at the top of his lungs "AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH FUCKING DIE!"

John ignored the gunshot wounds as he came upon the wolf and impaled his left arm's claws through the gun-holding arm of the wolf, causing him to bleed furiously as he shrieked in pain. The wolf reflexively dropped the gun and cradled his arm after John pulled his claws out, attempting to back up to create distance. Not wasting a second, John jumped forward and smashed his right fist into the wolfs muzzle knocking him onto his back where John reenacted his fight with the buffalo, by repeatedly bashing his face in until there was no resistance.

John stood over the wolf, his mind in turmoil with what he had just experienced: he had never been shot in the head before, and the possibilities that could have occurred truly frightened him. It was a feeling of almost facing his own mortality, something he never really considered being the way he was. A particularly horrifying thought passed through his mind, one that left him mortified: 'What if I lost my memories?'

John was no biologist or doctor, but from school he knew that certain parts of his brain were specifically for storing memories. John couldn't imagine it, being stuck in an unfamiliar place with no recollection of who or what he was. He did not know if his memories would recover like his brain would, but by god he would never wanted to test that out ever again. He looked over at the cheetah who was still sitting on the ground, eyeing John with wonder and fear.

She had seen the whole thing, from John being shot in the head to him standing up perfectly fine as if nothing happened. She had the same thoughts as her Private, that John was some kind of immortal monster. Knowing that the other five members of her other platoon would take at least thirty minutes to get to her location, she and the rest of her unit were utterly defenseless now, completely at the demon mammal's mercy. She had already pulled out the dart and was now standing, facing off with the demon mammal.

She had no more weapons with the exception of her knife, her pistol in the demon mammal's possession and the shock rifle already used by him as well. All she had left were extra ammo cartridges, but those wouldn't be of use without the rifle. At this point, she knew she couldn't win in a fight with him.

'Hell, if he can survive a bullet to the head, there is nothing I can do with a blade…' she thought in despair, throwing away the thought of using her combat knife. Filled with anxiousness as he approached her, she felt the need to stand strong to defend her soldiers. If she was to die, it would be protecting them from his claws. Dread filled her system as he got closed the distance, as if she was watching the grim reaper descend upon her, and she had no idea what she could do.

Stopping about five feet from her, the demon mammal crossed his arms before speaking in a direct tone "We have got some talking to do…" which surprised the Lieutenant, her tail flicking behind her.

Carefully choosing her words, she replied cautiously "Why would you want to talk after all of this?"

Rolling his eyes, John responded with a curt tone "I have got questions and you have answers, and we both have little time since I know your friends are coming…" John continued "…Now, if you want you and your soldiers to get out of this alive, we are going to talk" The cheetah felt resigned, knowing that the he had the initiative. He had total control of the situation and she wasn't about to bargain with the lives of her soldiers.

"Ok" she sighed in submission while thinking to herself 'What have I gotten myself into?'

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 **A/N: Any typos or blatant grammatical mistakes please let me know**


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N: Just some quick notes, I went through all my previous chapters and changed several instances where I used the word "Hand" when I should have written "Paw". Nothing too major, it just makes the story more consistent. When I use the term "paw(?)", It's from the perspective of mammals who don't know what to call John's hands, since all other mammals really only have hooves or paws (I am not going to include primates because I am assuming they never existed since "humans never happened" as the original trailer put it).**

 **Eventually, I will go through everything and add "more", and by more I mean extra details and description that will make the story more immersive. I'm fine with what I have now, but there is always room for improvement. Also, it's probably going to take longer to post the next chapter since my vacation ends and I head back to school. I will try for one a week like I have been doing, but it might be less consistent, or maybe shorter chapters. Real life sucks huh?**

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Chapter 10: Taken

The sun was still shining down through the trees, illuminating the green and wet forest floor in a warm orange glow. A gentle breeze filtered through the trees, rustling the leaves and needles while local birds chirped their sweet songs, creating an absolutely calming ambiance. It would have been a nice place to just lay against a tree, kick your legs up, and relax while enjoying the beauty of nature. It was a shame, however, that the mammals currently present at the scene did not have time to notice such things.

The dangerous mammal was still standing in his original position with his arms folded, glaring at the cheetah who was standing there awkwardly, having heard what he had said, but still unsure about her next course of action. She took a brief glance at her downed soldiers scattered around the otherwise serene forest, the unconscious uniformed mammals occasionally twitching and letting out small moans signifying they were still alive.

'What should I do?' she thought to herself, the dangerous mammal in front of her eliminating any hope of escape. She refused to simply run and abandon her soldiers, even though she was sure that she could definitely outrun the mammal in front of her. 'Not going to risk it…' she thought in unwilling resignation, unable to take the chance that if she ran, he would hurt those under her command.

"Ok…what do you want to know?" she asked aloud while thinking to herself 'I need to stall, keep him here as long as possible'. She watched warily, as the fugitive mammal moved towards the unconscious wolf laying supine on the ground, the wolf's arm still bleeding from the stab wounds inflicted in their earlier tussle, one she had witnessed.

Standing in front of him, the mammal reached down, only to freeze when he heard the cheetah scream in panic "WAIT! WHAT ARE YOU DOING!". Simply glancing in her direction, the mammal ignored her as he continued to reach down and…pick up the gun the wolf had dropped, filling the cheetah with dread. 'What is he going to do…?' she thought, her eyes scanning John for any threatening movements. Her eyes widened when she saw John, gun in one hand, reach down towards the wolf as if to grab him.

'OH NO YOU DON'T!' she screamed in her head, her body moving before she could even register what was happening. On pure instinct, she charged him at full speed, tackling him from behind with great force causing the mammal to grunt as he was forcefully face-planted into the dirt while dropping the gun. She took advantage of the fugitive mammal's surprise as she pulled him into a headlock, already choking him in hopes she could make him pass out. Unfortunately for her, the mammal she was trying to subdue was no stranger to sticky situations.

The mammal rolled over so he was now on top of her facing up as she held onto his neck, his arms futilely attempting to pry her arms from around his collar. The sounds of their struggle ruined the surrounding peaceful atmosphere, the cheetah growling while the mammal let out choking sounds in his attempts to breath. Contorting his body, the fugitive mammal flipped backwards landing his feet on the ground, still being strangled by the cheetah, and he flexed his strong back lifting the cheetah into the air who was unable keep her arms around his neck.

Breaking free from her death grip, the mammal stumbled and collapsed on the soft ground a few away as he wheezed in several breaths, trying to recover from the lack of oxygen as he held his neck with one paw(?). Not giving him the chance to recuperate, the cheetah swiftly stood up and pulled out her combat knife from her vest, steadying it in her paws as she took a stance. Standing up rapidly, still catching his breath, the fugitive mammal turned just in time to watch as Lieutenant Olivia, with a shout, drive the pointed end of the six-inch combat knife dead center into his chest, right up to the hilt.

The cheetah retreated back as she let go of the knife, creating space and praying to the gods that it was over. Despite already seeing it before, she felt disbelief in her heart when the mammal only staggered back with his face contorted in pain, not collapsing.

'WHAT…THE…FUCK.' She thought in gloom as the mammal, one that should be by all accounts dead, carefully moved his paws(?) around the hilt of the knife and pulled it out slowly, groaning in discomfort with an ugly grimace. She watched in equal parts fascination and revulsion as he dragged the whole length out, his blood still staining the knife as he held it by his side. She did a double take, a look of incredulity on her face as she swiveled her head between the face and chest wound of the mammal.

The wound began repairing itself right in front of her, eventually fully closing with the only trace of the fatal stab wound being a little stream of blood running down his mud covered front. The mammal threw the knife straight into the dirt where it stuck into the wet ground 'Oh shit…this just isn't fair' she cursed to herself, knowing that she just royally pissed off an un-killable mammal in front of her judging by his less than amused face.

John was less than amused, incredibly incensed at her for what she had just done. The knife sinking into his chest had caused him incredible pain, and he was boiling over with repressed rage, wanting to return the favor. Involuntarily, his claws extended out thanks to his anger and the cheetah in front of him took a couple steps back in fear. He began walking towards her and the cheetah stumbled onto her back, her legs giving out, as she continued to crawl away backwards. Casually approaching the terrified cheetah, he walked right up to her side as he stared daggers into her, his impulsive and vengeful side wanting her to taste her own medicine.

'Turnabout is fair play after all' his mind was whispering to him as he debated whether or not to take vengeance. John was tired, tired of being a victim of circumstance. He didn't ask to be here, he didn't ask to be attacked by wolves, he didn't ask to be chased by talking animals wearing military uniforms, and he certainly didn't ask for all the suffering he had been through the last couple of months. "Exasperated" was not enough to describe how he was feeling and he desperately wanted to release the dam holding back his innate savagery that had been building up since he arrived in this strange world.

Glancing down at the cheetah, the cheetah held her arm up in a defensive stance as she shook in terror, the fear brought by his gaze overwhelming her basic bodily functions. 'It would be so easy…' the darker part of his mind spoke invitingly. All John had to do now was just bend down and sink his claws into her neck, like putting pins in a pincushion. His mind became cloudy; his rationality being dimmed by the resentment that permeated throughout his mind. Kicking the cheetah in the face which knocked her flat on her back, he jumped right onto her, straddling her upper body as he raised his claws in preparation for a killing blow.

The cheetah naturally struggled, but it was useless as John was stronger and had her arms pinned between his legs while his left arm held her shoulder down preventing her from moving. Just before John struck the final blow, however, he noticed something odd on the uniform of the cheetah, the corner of something…white, like a piece of paper, poking between the seams of the uniform.

His curiosity switching off his rage for a split second, the cheetah flinched as he reached with his free hand and pulled out the piece of paper, only to flip it over and discover it wasn't a piece of paper, it was a photograph, one the cheetah had likely kept in her inside pocket. John froze as he looked at the picture. It was of her and what he assumed to be her parents standing on either side of her, their aged faces plastered with unmistakable pride.

The younger cheetah, the one he was ready to kill, was standing there in a cleaned pressed uniform, the sun reflecting off the medals on her chest, her arms around each of her parents as she adorned the widest smile John had ever seen. They were standing in front of a flagpole with the backdrop being some kind of school, which John assumed was where she had graduated. Glancing back down at the shivering cheetah in his grasp, the one who was now looking at him with despair, he slowly felt his anger subside.

'She has a family…' spoke a hidden but still very present part of his personality, one that desired peace. He began to feel something that slowly began to eat away at his anger and turn it into bitterness. John felt pity for the cheetah. 'It's not like she planned on meeting someone like me, and it's not her fault either' he thought solemnly to himself as he stared into the terrified green eyes of the cheetah he was pinning to the ground.

By nature, John was aggressive and hot-headed, maybe even a little savage, but he remembered something his dad had once told him when he was at a particularly low point in his life, a low point caused by the insecurities of not knowing what he truly was:

"What we are is not what defines us, it's what we do that counts"

John remembered thinking how cliché that sounded, but that philosophy his dad imparted on him is what helped him come to terms with his existence and led him out of his depression in his teen years. 'This is stupid…I am not a mindless killer' thought John as he retracted his claws to the surprise of the cheetah. Standing up, John grabbed the cheetah by the arm and hoisted her onto her paws, who looked completely dumbfounded at the turn of events judging by the look she was wearing.

Turning around, John reached down and picked up the knife before wiping the residual blood onto the grass. Facing the cheetah, he flipped the knife in his hands before handing the knife, hilt first, back to the cheetah who just gave him a quizzical look before slowly reaching out and taking the knife. Putting it back into the sheath on her combat vest, John held out the picture he had taken from her before she quickly snapped it back, inspecting it for damage and carefully placing it into her uniform. "Nice family…" John muttered as he rubbed his head, looking away awkwardly, unsure of what to do since he had literally been just about to kill her.

A soft and quiet "Thanks…" was all he heard in reply.

Lieutenant Olivia didn't know what to think at this point. 'He is not what I expected…' she thought to herself. She remembered her orders were to capture and subdue an unknown fugitive mammal that supposedly posed a threat to public safety, but what she had seen only made her question her orders. 'Even though we have been hunting him non-stop and hurt him many times, he hasn't killed anyone despite having multiple chances'

The Lieutenant looked around at her still unconscious soldiers before looking back at the fugitive mammal, who was just standing there, awkwardly rubbing the fur(?) on his head, as if he was trying to nervously ask a girl out on a date. It was almost funny to her how awkward the fur-less mammal seemed, especially after she had seen just how viscous he could really be. 'He even complimented my family…what is this mammal?' she kept asking herself as her tail swayed behind her.

She immediately recognized that this mammal, despite being dangerous, definitely was not evil. 'Hell, if he was a true scumbag, we would all already be dead' she shuddered in thought. "I apologize for attacking you…" she began, hoping to diffuse the quiet tension that developed. "I thought you were going to hurt my soldier" she continued timidly, flinching slightly when the mammal looked back up at her.

"Don't mention it" he shrugged off casually, as if a single apology was enough to make up for her stabbing a six-inch blade fully into his chest. "I wasn't going to hurt him, I just wanted to see if he had any more ammo…" he finished bitterly in reply, making the cheetah wince at how she overreacted earlier. Walking toward the wolf again, John picked up the gun he had dropped when she tackled him, and proceeded to open the pouches on the wolf's vest.

This time, the cheetah didn't stop him despite still being nervous, for she knew that if he really wanted to kill them, it would be too easy. The mammal, finding what he was looking for, pulled out two small magazines loaded with pistol ammo and another larger magazine loaded with shock rifle darts before pocketing both and sliding one of the magazines into the pistol with a *click* as he pulled back the hammer to load a bullet into the chamber.

Putting the loaded pistol into the back pocket of his jeans, the mammal spoke up "Do you know first aid?". The Lieutenant was puzzled by the question, until John continued while pointing at the wolf "Because he could use some on his arm". Sure enough, Private Mane's arm was still slightly bleeding from the stab wounds inflicted on him earlier, and the cheetah's protective instincts kicked in as she ran to his side to examine his wound. Quickly deducing what she needed, she ran to her pack that she had put down earlier before pulling out a first aid box with a red cross on it and running back to her soldier.

Pulling out gauze, she applied disinfectant to the wounds before wrapping them securely with pressure to stop the bleeding. Meanwhile, the fugitive mammal walked away and came back carrying the shock rifle the buffalo had been using before setting it down and sitting down on the other side of the wolf, watching the cheetah quietly as she did her first aid.

"So um…" the mammal across from her began speaking, breaking the silence. "What is your name?"

"Olivia…Olivia Spots" she spoke in reply, still quietly wrapping the gauze around her soldier's arm. Hearing him laugh suddenly, she looked up at him with a look that asked "What is so funny?".

Seeing her look, John quickly apologized "I'm sorry, it's just…a talking cheetah with the last name Spots, that's almost as bad as a talking bunny with the last name Hopps" he finished with a chuckle. Continuing with a wave of his paw(?) he said "Lemme guess, you also have a friend that is tiger with the last name Stripes" while laughing once again. Despite herself, she felt the faintest hint of a smile tugging at the corner of her lips, the mammal's laugh being incredibly infectious.

"Anyways…my name is Johnathan Miller, but you can call me John. Nice to meet you…Olivia" John said as he leaned forward and held out his paw(?) to Olivia, who was taken aback at how informal he was being, as if they were now friends. Hesitating for a moment, she reached out her paw and grasped his before shaking it, a sign of mutual respect, which, under better circumstances, could have been the start of a wonderful friendship. Sitting back, John began "Sooo…Olivia, what rank are you, out of curiosity?"

"Lieutenant, fresh out of the Academy" she replied easily, which amazed her. In reality, when she thought about it, this whole situation amazed her. Normally she was completely professional and prided herself on maintaining her "aloof superior" attitude to help her officer persona amongst her soldiers, but right now she was sitting down in front of one of her unconscious and wounded soldiers directly across from the mammal who was responsible, and she even shook his hand as if they were buddies.

'It's all thanks to this asshole' she thought begrudgingly.

"Hmm, that's cool I guess. Say…why are you all trying to capture me? Said John in his attempt to get straight to the heart of the matter. Looking him in the eyes, she noticed something that she did not expect to see. He looked afraid.

Thinking for a moment, she asked "Exactly how old are you John?"

"Twenty-four" was his quick and short reply.

'No wonder…no wonder he is scared' she mentally chided herself. He was even younger than she was, and she was only twenty-five. She couldn't imagine what she would do if she was being hunted by the military, the simple thought of it making her feel sorry for John. 'Maybe, maybe I could convince him' she thought to herself. "We were ordered to capture an unknown mammal that had threatened the police and escaped into the Wilds. We were ordered to "not harm him" as he appeared to be a never before seen species that needed to be brought in to ease the public's concerns"

She looked up to see John listening to her with rapt attention before continuing "In summary, we were ordered to bring you in to find out what type of mammal you are and figure out if you posed a threat to society, meaning like if you were carrying any new diseases and such"

"I don't get sick…" was his annoyed reply.

"What exactly are you John?" she asked, her own curiosity getting the better of her.

"I am a human...but at the same time, I am different from other humans" explained John with a brief pause in his sentence.

"What do you mean by that? So your species are called "humans", a species I have never heard of before by the way, but you are different from other humans. What does that mean?" she prodded a little more.

Rubbing his eyes, John responded "Ok, look. I will make this easy to understand. I am exactly like a normal human in every way except for two things. One is these…" he said while holding up his hands and extending his claws, causing the cheetah to gulp warily. "…And the other thing is what you just saw" he finished while tapping the center of his chest. The cheetah felt her ears get hot and lowered them back when she realized what he was referring too.

"Yea, about that, again I am sorry"

"Whatever…" he replied while shaking his hand in a brushing motion, as if to sweep it under the table. "At least I am still alive"

Thinking now would be a good time to ask, she spoke "If you don't mind me asking, why are you running away from us? Wouldn't it be better to just turn yourself in and prove that you aren't a threat? From what I have seen you seem like a nice, albeit freakish, mammal"

John rolled his eyes and replied "I appreciate that you think I'm a "nice guy", but you just answered your own question. In this place…" he said as he gestured around himself before continuing "…I am a freak. Could you honestly promise me that I wouldn't just disappear, being kidnapped and taken to some underground facility where they would dissect me? You have already seen what I can do, so can you honestly tell me that?"

"Yes" the cheetah replied firmly, completely catching John off guard at how readily she replied.

"Look John, I don't know what you are or where you came from, but mammals here have rights. You won't be taken away just for being different, even in your case. We just want to learn what you are and then you could be on your way. The military gets its power from the public, and right now, the public simply wants to know what kind of mammal you are". John scanned the cheetah in front of him, trying to detect any malice or deceit, but her entire being was radiating sincerity.

Still having doubts, he asked the million-dollar question: "How do I know I can trust you?"

"I swear on my family that I am telling the truth, and I promise that I will see to it that no harm comes to you" she responded with resolve. John thought very hard about it as he sat there. He had been running from them for a long time with no end goal in sight. He did not have any plans, he didn't have any support, he was completely and utterly screwed in the end. Eventually, they would catch him, and he knew it.

The cheetah just gave him an easy out, one that if it paid off and she was telling the truth, he could find out more about how he got here and how to get home, but that would require putting his faith in the cheetah. It had been a long time since John had truly put his faith in someone, and it always felt better to think you have someone to trust, but John did not hand out trust easily, especially to someone he had only just met and had tried to kill him.

Seeing the look of indecision on his face, she added with a small attempt at humor "I promise that I will protect you, and also you will get to shower. You look and smell like shit"

John broke from his mental reverie and smirked at the cheetah before replying "Well with an offer like that, how could I refuse". John, weighing the pros and cons, decided that it was probably best he go with her. Even if he ran away now, he would only be tracked down again, and he did not think he could fight against an entire squad by himself a second time. He was, once again, cold, tired, and hungry, a triple whammy of misery, and he absolutely was mentally exhausted from this whole ordeal.

'Maybe if I go with her I will finally get some answers…' he convinced himself. Of course, there was a part of mind that was screaming at him that this was a bad idea, but he chose to ignore it this time. After all, the cheetah did not seem like a bad person, er, mammal, and John trusted his instincts, for they have saved his ass many times before, and right now his instincts were telling him to trust her. John stood up and held out his hand to the cheetah, who took it as he helped her up.

Looking her straight in the eyes as he grasped her soft paw, he said to her "I'll come with you, but I am holding you to your word Lieutenant"

"I don't make promises lightly; you will be safe with us" she promised once again. Olivia was ecstatic, having just convinced the young mammal in front of her. He was simply afraid for his own safety, which was completely understandable in his case, and the fact that she was able to change his mind meant they could avoid more chasing and bloodshed. After all, if he tried to run again, she and the rest of her platoon were currently in no condition to chase him.

They sat in a comfortable silence as she went around to each of her soldiers while checking on their conditions. John just went up to a tree and sat down with his back against it as he restlessly waited for what he knew was coming. Right on schedule, the rest of her platoon arrived on the scene, immediately absorbing everything they saw. The mammal they had been chasing was sitting casually against a tree while their Lieutenant was checking on the conditions of their unconscious comrades, the fact that they were unconscious not lost on them.

They immediately took aim at John who recoiled at their actions before their Lieutenant roared "HOLD YOUR FIRE". The soldiers, being led by a ram, immediately paused their motions and looked at their Lieutenant with confusion.

The ram began speaking "Ma'am, that's the mammal we have been chasing. Why is he just sitting there? Why aren't you moving to catch him?". The ram looked around before adding "And why are our friends unconscious?"

"It's a long story" she began as she walked towards her platoon. "Long story short, he has agreed to come quietly"

"What happened" the ram interjected as he pointed to the soldiers lying in the mud. "I will explain…" she replied professionally. John watched from a distance away, still holding the shock rifle, as the cheetah seemingly explained what happened, the constant changing of facial expressions from the group being somewhat entertaining. Occasionally, they would glance at John, who was still sitting casually against a tree, with looks of vigilance, as if they thought he would either stand up and start running at any time, or shoot at them.

After some time, she finished her recollection of past events, and the group started arguing about something quietly, something that John couldn't quite make out thanks to their hushed voices. John saw the cheetah sigh in resignation and the group made their way towards him, causing him to tense up noticeably. A giant rhino, another bear, a ram, a goat, and a tiger, each eyeing him warily with unfriendly faces.

'Not surprising…I did wipe the floor with their friends after all' he told himself. They approached him and surrounded the tree he was leaning against as he stood up with his arms folded.

Stepping forward, Olivia spoke "Ok John, we will be taking you in. I have decided that we will not restrain you since you are coming quietly, but there is something you have to do first…" Just from the way she said it, John was already not liking this.

"Please hand over the gun and rifle" she spoke with authority while her eyes were silently pleading.

'Fuck no!' were his initial thoughts. Feeling that when it truly came down to it, the only one he could really rely on was himself, so having weapons made him feel more confident. But then he looked at the cheetah, who he could tell was almost begging him to listen, and he felt his resistance crumble. 'It's really all or nothing now…' he mentally sighed. Reluctance clearly visible on his face, John held the rifle out to the cheetah as she took it. Next, he slowly pulled out the pistol from his back pocket as not to startle the surrounding soldiers. Turning it in his hand, he held out the pistol handle first to the cheetah who took and put it in her holster.

Smiling at John, the cheetah spoke "Alright John, let's bring you home"

The next hour was for recuperation. The mammals John knocked unconscious all woke up intermittently, with a couple of nasty bruises, and were immediately clued in on what happened afterwards. The wolf whose arm John impaled constantly whimpered as he cradled his sling. John made himself comfortable leaning against a tree while the Lieutenant radioed in to the Captain what had occurred and that they "had the mammal in custody". John overheard the sarcastic sounding reply from the Captain saying that they would be at their location in two hours, the "net" being cast very wide in order to catch John. She responded with confirmation that they would meet in a wide clearing they had recently past that was closer for both groups to converge too.

The platoon of ten mammals moved in a circle formation, with John and the Lieutenant in the center as they walked through the forest. Being surrounded like he was, John always felt stiff, but he thought to himself 'At least I'm not in handcuffs or something'. He was truly taking a leap of faith here, he just silently prayed it would pay off. When they arrived at the clearing, they all got comfy, finding a dry spot where they all relaxed waiting for the rest of the company to arrive. Some were cleaning their weapons while others, like the ones he knocked out, were rubbing their bruises while looking at John with displeasure. John elected to sit close by the cheetah, as he didn't know or trust any of the other mammals.

The ram was the first to hear it. A steady thrum of blades slicing through the air, the sound of an incoming helicopter. It wasn't long before everyone else could hear it as it got closer and closer. The Lieutenant looked at the sky in confusion, as she was not expecting air support. She would have been informed via radio if that was the case. The helicopter was almost upon them, judging by the up-roaring sound that was increasing in volume each second.

The Lieutenant radioed in to the Captain "Captain, did you request air support?"

"That's a negative Lieutenant, why do you ask?" he replied without his usual sarcasm which gave the Lieutenant a sense of foreboding.

"There is a helicopter approaching our position…" she responded louder as the roars of the helicopter were becoming deafening. She still could not see it thanks to the tree-line, which meant it was flying particularly low. Without warning, the helicopter appeared in everyone's sight, showering the entire clearing with gusts of wind as the surrounding trees shook.

John loudly asked "What's going on!? Is that our ride or something?". She didn't reply to him, because she wasn't certain of what was going on either. The soldiers all looked nervously at the single rotor helicopter that had stopped and was now hovering over the clearing with the bay doors facing them. Looking at the bay doors, the Lieutenant noticed a strange symbol, one that looked like a black colored hawk with a black ring painted around it.

'What is that?' she asked herself, unfamiliar with the unique symbol. They all watched in horror as the bay door opened and something they did not expect to see slid out. A mini-gun…a mini-gun with what appeared to be a coyote in a black uniform standing behind it, smiling wildly.

*REEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE*

The mini-gun began to spin up. Lieutenant Olivia, not wasting a second, roared "EVERYONE TAKE COVER" as all hell broke loose.

A hailstorm of bullets rained down upon them in a sweeping motion, pelting the ground and catching three unfortunate soldiers as they attempted to find cover, the stream of bullets ripping through their body armor and tearing them to shreds. "NOOOOOOOOOOO!" the Lieutenant screamed helplessly as she witnessed three of her own soldiers die right in front of her. The other soldiers all took cover behind trees after exiting the clearing as the rain of bullets continued to pepper the immediate area.

John and Lieutenant Olivia were running towards the tree-line, having been the closest to the middle of the clearing. She was practically dragging John by the arm, who although being fast for a person, could not match the cheetah in speed. The mini-gun paused its firing, and then restarted, aiming at a new target…them. It all happened incredibly fast, John looked back to see bullets hit the ground behind them, slowly getting closer as the coyote adjusted his aim. John knew they wouldn't make it to the tree-line before they were cut to pieces and, reacting on instinct, he shoved the Lieutenant out of the way just before the stream of bullets hit them.

Unfortunately, John was not spared. Loud *thwicks* resounded as John was hit from behind twelve times starting from his lower left thigh and ending at his shoulder, right up the side of his back. The bullets were merciless, ripping completely through John and his backpack, bones and all, creating several large holes in his torso, back and left leg. These weren't pistol rounds after all. "AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGH" An unholy shout of agony ripped out of John's mouth as he instantly passed out from the trauma. The hailstorm of bullets ceased.

Up in the helicopter

"YOU FUCKING IDIOT! AIM FOR THE SOLIDERS, NOT THE FUCKING PACKAGE!" screamed a grizzly bear in a raspy voice as he smashed his paw down onto the helmet of the gunner who only whimpered in response. "You better hope that he is still alive!" finished the grizzly with a growl. Looking into down the length of the chopper, he ordered loudly at the assortment of black uniformed mammals sitting down on each side, quietly prepping their zip-lines.

"Ok you fuckers, retrieve the package! Do it quickly or we will all be dead!"

Immediately, the lead mammals began rappelling off the helicopter, the zip-lines lowering them safely. For one last time, the grizzly looked at the coyote before warning him "Keep the soldiers busy, if they poke their heads out, blast them!". The grizzly them went to the front of the cabin where he began watching the show through his monitor.

Back on the ground

The Lieutenant looked up at the bloody mess that was John as he lay face down in the dirt. 'He…he saved my life' she thought to herself, knowing that John had shoved her out of the way of the stream of bullets. She felt a gratitude she couldn't describe blossom in her chest, but that went away as soon as she heard the mini-gun revving back up. Taking half a second to glance at the helicopter, she noticed mammals in black uniforms carrying assault rifles rappelling down. They immediately took notice of her and began to fire in her direction, bullets sinking into the ground around her.

Jumping up, she ran for cover at insane speed, no longer being hindered by John. Diving behind a tree, she once again heard the sound of the mini-gun firing around her as several bullets smacked into the large tree she was behind blasting splinters everywhere. She was pinned down by fire.

"LIEUTENANT! WHAT ARE YOUR ORDERS!?" the ram yelled to her from a nearby tree that he was hiding behind.

She yelled back as loud as she could "STAY BEHIND COVER! DO NOT ENGAGE!". Right now, they were not equipped to fight mammals as well prepared as these guys. Their original objective was to apprehend a single unarmed mammal, now it was like they were fighting in an actual war. All they had were their shock rifles and pistols. Grabbing the radio on her shoulder, she screamed "CAPTAIN! WE ARE UNDER FIRE. THE HELICOPTER WAS A HOSTILE! WE HAVE SUSTAINED CASUALTIES! REQUESTING BACKUP AND AIR SUPPORT!"

She paused for a moment before adding in desperation "THEY HAVE MILITARY GRADE WEAPONS AND A MINI-GUN! WE NEED HELP!" The look of the Captain on the other end was priceless. He quickly responded, his tone dead serious, "Copy that, we are sending everything we have!". From the way he was acting to the surrounding soldiers, the Captain definitely was not expecting these turn of events, but he was experienced and did not panic. He knew what he needed to do. He began making several calls.

The Lieutenant peeked ever so slightly from behind the decimated tree to see what had become of John, the black uniformed mammals running to where he lay face down. She watched in anguish as the mammal she promised she would protect be picked up and carried off like a sack of potatoes, the black uniformed mammals occasionally shooting at their hiding spots to keep them pinned down. Very well trained, the several mammals quickly hooked themselves back up to the zip line and were hoisted back into the low hovering helicopter, one of their larger comrades carrying John. 'Fuck…FUCK! Why the fuck is this happening! Who the hell are they?' the Lieutenant cursed as she helplessly watched the black helicopter rise up and fly away.

Back in the Helicopter

The grizzly looked down at the bloody fur-less mammal lying on the floor of the helicopter, his blood leaking out of the multiple large holes in his body. With a frown that was ugly to behold, the grizzly pulled out his pistol and aimed it right at the head of the suddenly terrified coyote who yelped "WAIT!" before blowing his brains out, his blood and grey matter spraying against the side walls of the cabin.

The depressed uniformed mammals sitting in the red illuminated space didn't even bother to look up, much less flinch at the ruthlessness. They all knew that the coyote fucked up, now none of them were going to get paid. 'Bring him in alive…BRING HIM IN ALIVE…fucking idiot' the grizzly thought to himself as he rubbed his muzzle, infuriated that they had failed after taking such a huge risk. He knew that they were lucky on this; That the soldiers were unprepared and caught off guard. But now none of it mattered, as they huge payday they would have had was ruined by a trigger happy coyote.

Heading back to the front of the cabin with a sullen gait, he grabbed a headset before speaking into the mic "Bring us home. Take a wide berth to avoid the military. Turn on the jammers. You know the drill"

"Copy that boss" was the reply. Groaning in regret, the grizzly took a seat at the front of the cabin before putting his head in his paws.

'So much money…fuck!' he mentally griped.

"nnngh" he heard something moan. Lifting his head out of his paws, he looked up to see the "dead" mammal, the one laying in the center of the cabin with twelve holes in his body, propping himself on his arm and lifting his head while looking around in a daze.

'Holy shit! What!?' were the thoughts of the astonished grizzly as he promptly stood up and hustled over to the mammal. Even the surrounding soldiers, despite normally being detached and apathetic, were just as surprised as the grizzly and leaned in to get a closer look. The mammal was still looking around in a confused stupor and he unsuccessfully attempted to stand several times as if he didn't have holes like Swiss cheese in his body.

The grizzly, upon closer inspection, found that the large holes in the fur-less mammal's torso had already stopped bleeding and were closing slowly at a rate that even he could see. 'Oh my god…now I see why she wants him so badly' he thought as he grinned with glee. Grabbing a rifle off the wall of the cabin, he butt-stroked the back of it onto the mammal's head, knocking him unconscious once again before checking his breathing one more time, just to be sure. Seeing how the mammal was still breathing, and the bullet holes were almost fully closed, he turned towards the equally surprised group of mammals in the cabin before shouting "GOOD NEWS BOYS, WE'RE STILL GETTING PAID!" eliciting a raucous round of cheering.

Back at the clearing (Some time later)

Lieutenant Olivia stood by, glancing over the bodies of the soldiers under her charge who were now lying in large un-zipped body bags with their faces covered by a rag. Around her, an entire company of soldiers moving around seemingly busy as a nearby triage tent was set up. Calls were being made inside a hastily rigged command tent, several helicopters flying overhead as protection. Ignoring the surrounding noise, she kneeled down and carefully pulled back the rag revealing the pale face of Private Mane, his eyes without their usual light.

Hurriedly covering his face back up, grief overtook her as she mourned the loss of a comrade, tears rolling down her fur as she fully recognized the impact of what had occurred. Her body convulsed slightly as she held her muzzle, emotionally overwhelmed. Feeling a paw on her shoulder, she turned to see an older mountain lion wearing a decorated uniform. Standing up she stifled her tears and saluted.

"Captain" she spoke while looking up at the taller feline, trying to keep her voice steady but failing miserably.

The Captain lacked any of his usual sarcasm as he asked "First time losing a soldier?" He already knew the answer to that, as she was just a Lieutenant, but he felt he needed to ask anyway.

"Yes sir" she replied quietly as she turned her head away in shame.

"Come with me" he ordered as he walked towards the command tent that was set up in the corner of the clearing. Following behind him while staring at the ground, she replayed the moments where she saw her soldiers get hit by the streams of bullets, their cries of pain still fresh in her mind. She followed him inside the tent, where he sat down behind a portable table and ordered everyone else inside to leave for a moment.

Pointing to a chair, he told her "Sit down" to which she complied silently, still looking down at the ground. Sighing loudly, the Captain began speaking in a solemn tone "Lieutenant Olivia, you are not to blame for their deaths. You were ambushed, and there was nothing you could have done"

"But sir…" she started replying in protest. Raising his paw, he interrupting her outburst.

"Lieutenant, please describe to me what you were armed with in that engagement"

"Standard Riot Control SR-6A4 shock rifles and a sidearm of our choice" she answered, puzzled by the question.

"Exactly. Would you say you were properly prepared for actual military combat? No… your original objective was to apprehend a single mammal, one which you and your soldiers were equipped for and had accomplished, only sustaining minor negligible injuries"

Leaning forward, he spoke sincerely "You accomplished your objective. You did not panic when ambushed. You requested back up under fire and from what your soldiers told me, you ordered them to not engage, a wise decision when looking at the situation you were in. You handled yourself exactly how I expect my officers to handle themselves: perfectly" She looked up into the eyes of her officer to see something she never thought she would see, compassion. "Don't beat yourself up over this. We need you at your best" he finished.

She thought it would make her feel better to hear from her superior that she wasn't responsible; It only made her feel more responsible, but she appreciated what he had told her.

Her eyes flashing in remembrance, she asked "Sir…what about the mammal we were sent to apprehend? The mammals that attacked us took him. I believe he was their target because they retreated right after grabbing him"

He waved his arm in dismissal while saying "Right now, he is of the least concern. We are attempting to track the mammals who attacked you and bring them down, which is proving difficult. They seemed to be prepared to hide from us seeing as how we have not detected any traces of them. Besides, if we find them, we are likely to find the mammal in question, knocking two birds out with one stone, so to speak"

Standing up, he saluted her while saying "That is everything Lieutenant, you are dismissed. I would advise you to see the medics just in case. Some friendly advice, from one experienced officer to another, go see a therapist. It's hard to lose soldiers" The way he said it made her believe that the same has happened to him before, so she took his advice to heart. Exiting the tent after saluting him back, she immediately went towards the medical tent as he advised.

Back inside the tent, the Captain walked back to his chair, took a seat, and propped his legs onto the table while pulling out a private cell phone. Dialing a number, he heard a sweet, sing-song voice speak from the other end "Thanks for the tip darling~!" He snorted before replying "Just remember what you promised" "Of course dear, I always keep my promises! Bye-Bye!" *Beep* The Captain put his phone away, smiling greedily while thinking 'Easiest 100k I have ever made' before laughing loudly.

On a road in the middle of nowhere

Jacob was nervous, squeezed between several larger mammals in uniform carrying assault rifles. He was sitting "comfortably" in the back of a Humvee being taken to god knows where. They had currently been driving for many hours. 'Why the hell did they have to pick me up at home' he thought, peeved at how they showed up at his burrow demanding he come with them, scaring a bunch of his family members.

His parents in particular were less than enthusiastic about him being taken away by "big and scary soldiers", but he managed to convince them that he would be back and there was nothing to worry about. Right now, he only wished he could convince himself of the same thing, because he had no idea where he was going. They pulled into what looked like a military compound surrounded by high cement walls and razor wire fences after passing through a fortified gate.

The vehicle continued on passing by military-esqe style buildings before stopping in front of a single story bunker type office building. Standing outside, from what Jacob could see, was a male sheep carrying a clipboard looking quite bored, as if this was beneath him. Jacob was hoisted up by his shirt directly out of the window and placed upon the ground by a larger mammal in the Humvee, a motion that would have been offensive in other circumstances. The Humvee drove off and Jacob, still at a complete loss of what he was doing there, looked around confused.

That is until the sheep spoke up "Jacob Hopps I presume?"

Jacob's attention switched back to the sheep as he nervously replied "Yes that's me. What am I doing here?"

The sheep didn't answer his question and simply responded with "Come with me please" before turning around and through the double doors into the bunker. Jacob, future still uncertain, felt his only option at this point was to follow this strange sheep into the unknown and uninviting tunnel. 'Hopefully, this is about John. This may be my chance to help him' he reassured himself.

Following the sheep down the long and dimly lit concrete hallway, he was taken around several turns passing by many different offices before stopping in front of a particular door with the title General Petraeus written on a plaque hanging on the frame.

The sheep knocked three times quietly before a gruff "Come in" sounded through the door. The sheep opened the door and gestured for Jacob to enter, at which he did, before the sheep closed the door behind him. Jacob immediately took in the surroundings. A well-furnished office with bookshelves on either side and a large and clean rug bearing the AUA symbol took the majority of the floor. In front of him, a large ornate mahogany desk stood like a wall, only allowing Jacob to see the horns of the mammal sitting behind it, as said mammal typed away on his keyboard filling the quiet office with little *clicks*. Taking the initiative, Jacob hopped up onto a chair and took a seat, waiting patiently while the old goat on the other side of the desk continued to type away on his computer.

While he was typing, the goat spoke up "Do you know why I brought you here?" he asked in a tone that sounded almost uninterested.

"Ummm…is this about John, err, the new mammal?" Jacob replied eagerly with an educated guess.

"Yes…well…that's the main reason. There are several others, but we will come back to those later. Right now, let me tell you a story". The goat finished whatever he was typing and scooted his chair forward while putting his elbows on the desk. Jacob looked into his eyes and was immediately intimidated by what he saw. The goat looked withered and old on the outside, but from what Jacob could see in his brown eyes, the way they seemed to pierce through his body reading him like an open book, the goat was someone that he did not want to get on his bad side.

The goat continued "Some time ago, I received a report of a new and undocumented mammal spotted in Polar City. There were several videos and pictures taken. The public, being the public, instantly went nuts over this new discovery" The goat shook his head as if in disdain. "On a whim, I authorized the chief of police to apprehend him in order to appease the public, who wanted to know what he was and if he posed a threat in any way. Low and behold, he somehow managed to escape, and retreated into the Wilds. A day or two later, someone…"

He looked at Jacob directly, letting him know exactly who that someone was "…posted a video, a video from which sprang more videos, detailing everything about this mammal like some kind of documentary". The goat gave a cold look at Jacob who was taken by surprise at the animosity. The goat continued "Three days later, I receive word that the soldiers I sent out to apprehend the mammal were attacked by a Mercenary group known as the Blackhawks, a militarized criminal organization that we have butt heads with many times before. Three of MY soldiers were killed in the conflict. Now tell me bunny, why would a high-profile criminal syndicate suddenly take interest in a random mammal we were trying to apprehend for public safety?"

Jacob felt like he had been stabbed in the heart, fully realizing what the General was implying.

With a face full of shame, Jacob mumbled "I just wanted to help him. I thought if I could show you that he wasn't a bad mammal, you would stop chasing him"

The goat rubbed his face in exasperation before almost yelling out "It was NEVER about if he was bad or good! We were not chasing him because he was a criminal!" The goat leveled his eyes back to Jacob before saying "Although you broke no laws in this case, I want you to know that you are partially responsible for the deaths of my soldiers. Your impulsive actions are now the reason I have to write several letters to parents who will never see their children come home"

Jacob felt all the blood drain from his body as he realized exactly what he had done, wishing he could take it back. He only wanted to help.

"What's worse still is how those mammals now have custody of the mammal we were trying to apprehend" the goat added.

"WHAT! You mean they have John?" squeaked Jacob

"Precisely" replied the goat. Jacob felt completely shattered, knowing that he not only was now partially the cause of three innocent mammal's deaths, but that also he just screwed the one mammal who had saved his life. He stared straight ahead with eyes devoid of life, as the goat allowed him to absorb everything he was told.

"I will say one thing however" the goat said after a brief pause "You are not completely responsible for what happened..." he said as his eyes darkened. "After going through the recorded radio transmissions, it's clear that someone gave away their position which is how they were found. We were betrayed by one of our own" Jacob looked back at the goat in confusion.

With a sigh, the goat continued "Normally I would not tell you that as it is classified information. I only told you since it pertains to you, and you are not to tell anyone else or else you will be charged with treason. Am I clear?" Jacob only nodded listlessly, still overwhelmed from what he was told earlier.

"There are two more reasons for why I brought you here. The first is simple: You are to be fully evaluated by doctors that we have brought here on post. They want to make sure that you haven't contracted any new or strange diseases from this new mammal during your time together. The only reason you weren't quarantined right away was because we know that you have been in prolonged contact with him without any signs of sickness, but we must verify it"

Jacob simply nodded.

"The second reason…" the General continued "Is that I am ordering you to be interviewed by any news station of your choice. I am well aware of the fact that they have been contacting you asking for interviews about your time with the new mammal and how you have not responded to them yet. Because of my position, I am required to tell the media about what has recently occurred before it actually gets out. This will pin a bunch of scrutiny on us that will hinder our investigation. I need you to divert some of that attention we will no doubt be receiving" he took another pause for Jacob to take in what he was being told.

Jacob just quietly responded "I understand"

Speaking once again the goat voiced in a somber tone "If you wish to help fix what you have done, I suggest you start with that. Technically… I cannot order you to do this since you are not military, but I plead that you do. We need to bring these mammals to justice, and maybe find your friend along the way"

That struck a chord within Jacob, who replied "Yes sir"

"Good, you are dismissed. The sheep outside the door will take you to the hospital for your evaluation" the goat finished. Jacob walked outside without a sound and asked the sheep where the bathroom was. Entering the bathroom, Jacob's shoulder slumped against the tile wall as he slid down onto the ground, wringing his paws on his head with self-hate, as tears slid down his fur. 'What have I done?'

Unknown Location

John was angry. After the first time he was knocked unconscious in the helicopter, he awoke only minutes later and he tried to fight back. He only managed to get it a couple slashes before he was pinned and beaten over the head once again. The second time he woke up, again only minutes later, he was tied in a corner of the helicopter cabin. He tried to stand, only to find his feet were bound, while the grizzly who was watching over him looked at him with fascination.

John struggled with all his might, before the grizzly smashed his rifle with great force once again into his head, knocking him out for the second time. The grizzly had kept asking himself 'What kind of freak is he?' as he was amazed at how quickly he recovered. Waking up only five minutes later, the grizzly was visibly annoyed and simply put a burlap sack over John's head, unwilling to keep bashing his head to keep him unconscious, while John cursed him out in anger, which the grizzly completely ignored.

While John was screaming obscenities that would make a sailor proud, he continued to battle against his restraints to no avail, the position he was tied up in preventing him from using his claws. Who wouldn't be pissed after receiving enough blows to the head to cause permanent brain damage for any mammal? Realizing that he couldn't break free, he decided it was better to save his energy for another chance at escape. Many hours ticked by as the helicopter flew, the cabin remaining relatively silent the whole way.

John couldn't quite tell how long they had been flying, since after all, he was blindfolded and completely bored. Eventually, he heard them land and he was drug out of the helicopter by his restraints as he struggled. He was unable to break free from the strong grip of the grizzly however, and soon was placed on his knees like a prisoner of war, before they quickly removed the sack over his head. The sudden light blinding him, he winced as he slowly began to notice his surroundings.

He was still in some kind of forest with beams of light filtering through the trees. The sun was now much lower, meaning that they had been flying for most of the day, but John could still not tell what time it was. Currently, he was kneeling on the smooth cement of the helipad being held down by the grizzly as…as a white wolf in a business suit approached him. The white wolf was smiling giddily, as if someone just handed her a Christmas present. She paused in front of John, smiling at him with appraising eyes. Reaching down, she grabbed his chin while turning his head from side to side whilst examining his face.

John was very puzzled by her actions, but he didn't have any leeway for complaining. Kneeling down so she was eye level, John looked directly into her beautiful blue eyes before she spoke in a silky-sweet voice "Hello there… John. We're going to be the best of friends" while grinning widely. John had a very sinking suspicion that her definition of "friends" was vastly different from his.

'I'm in big trouble, aren't I?' thought John with dread.

* * *

 **A/N: Any typos or blatant grammatical mistakes, let me know.**


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N:** **A couple of things: 1) Sorry about the delay, school is a bitch. I won't go into details there, as I am sure none of you care :). 2) Just wanted to say thank you for all the reviews. I do appreciate you all leaving your thoughts on my story. I find it incredibly satisfying to know that the random dumb idea I couldn't get out of my head months ago is now a story over 90000 words. Although it is debatable whether or not its good, it feels pleasant knowing I created something from it. 3) Just a shout-out to Bosstwin, The Lone Captain, and Samguti729, fellow writers I have talked to who are doing the same thing I am doing, taking ideas and trying to express how awesome they are through writing. Keep it up guys! Sorry for the delay Sam, editing is half the battle after all ;). Good luck Burgs :P**

 **P.S. Most of you expected this, or had a notion since I made it obvious. Meh, I enjoy darker stories, sue me.**

 **P.P.S. Second chapter over 10000 words, WOOT!**

 **EDIT 4/2/2017: Added another scene detailing John and Nia's first encounter. Kind of how I saw it playing out.**

* * *

Chapter 11: Suffering

*Clink Clink Clink Clink Clink*

'Oh god, not again!' John thought in misery as the chains started pulling him towards the back wall. Feebly, John tried to resist their pull, but as usual he could do nothing in the face of what was coming. Four thick chains that fed into the wall, one connected to each individual locked leather strap on the end of his appendages, were beginning to pull him upwards, until he was splayed star pattern against the wall's face, the straps holding him up uncomfortably.

*Creak*

John's heart sank to his feet as he heard the dreaded sound of the door to his cell opening, revealing the entity of his most recent and terrible nightmares. Pushing in a tray of very "particular" tools, the white wolf dressed in nurse's attire took a long, audible sniff of the air before saying with her sweet voice that gave John chills

"Ahhhhh, I love the smell of your fear, John. Really turns me on~. You ready for today's session?"

John couldn't hide the fear in his eyes as he looked upon the tray she brought in.

'As long as it's not the drills…please god…anything but the drills' he prayed as the white demon rummaged through a box that was underneath the tray before pulling out a…barbed whip. John almost melted from relief when he saw the whip. 'As long as it isn't the drills…' The next thing she pulled out caused his relief to turn into horror. A yellow drill set, the kind you use to drill holes into wood. 'FUCK, FUCKING WHY!?' John mentally screamed as he began struggling profusely against his restraints, to no effect.

"*Tsk* *Tsk* I would save my energy if I were you…" the wolf began as she heard John struggle. Holding up the drill, she started it spinning, enjoying watching John flinch in terror at the sound. "We want to make this last as long as possible after all~" she sang with a sadistic and cruel smile.

"OH!" she suddenly exclaimed. "I almost forgot…" she said as she put down the drill and pulled something else out of the box of "toys" she brought in. Pulling out a tripod and a camera, she set it in the corner as to record everything she was about to do. Looking at John as if seemingly embarrassed at her own "oversight", she said "We want our customers to see exactly what is so special about you after all. Really drives your value up. Smile for the camera~".

Underneath John's fear, he felt something else developing. A spark of something beyond enmity that was beginning to grow. A seed of WRATH that had been planted on his first day was beginning to sprout, creating something ugly and vile within John. This was beyond anything he had ever expected to happen to him. Day after day, tortured for hours on end for absolutely no reason other than to satisfy the sadistic pleasures of some fucking talking wolf. The worst part, he would heal from every scratch, every slice, every burn, every gunshot, everything, meaning there was no end.

The first few days, she would claim that she was recording his suffering for her customers, to showcase his abilities to them, but now he firmly believed she was only doing this to please herself. Taking her dear sweet time, she leisurely walked up to John while swinging the drill in her paw. Standing below him as hung defenseless in front of her, she smiled up at John, only to see him looking back down at her with a mixture of hatred and fear. Feeling a rush of satisfaction and pleasure, the white wolf giggled as she began, pushing the spinning drill into the meat of his thigh creating a disgusting sound.

His screams echoed throughout the cell block, making the other prisoners cringe at the sustained cruelty, the worst sounds being when the drill connected with bone. For days the cell blocks inhabitants had heard him howl under the repeated torture, and from what they could tell, he was slowly beginning to lose his mind. John went from crying out in pain to cursing at the wolf to begging for mercy to eventually laughing like a madman as he was violently brutalized. His claws were fully displayed as his body extended them instinctively under the stress he was going through.

The prisoners who were further down the cell block could not understand how John was still alive after being tortured to such a degree, but the mammals in nearby cells could see what was happening to him clearly, how John would seemingly heal after each wound. For the first time ever, people, or rather, mammals that he didn't know, actually felt pity he had such an ability, as it was the only thing keeping him alive to suffer such torment.

A couple hours passed as she tortured John in various experimental ways that she couldn't do with normal prisoners, drilling holes into his body and watching with glee as they healed, sticking multiple knifes into his torso like a pincushion and watching in fascination as his body's skin sealed over the knives preventing blood from escaping before yanking them back out, and sticking a burning iron, heated by a propane torch, directly onto his flesh while watching the burns scab over and heal, not even leaving behind a scar.

Mammals watching in the adjacent cells were beside themselves with the evils they were witnessing, unable to comprehend the suffering one mammal, even one they didn't know, was repeatably going through. They almost felt guilty at the relief that it wasn't them going through something so horrendous... almost. Eventually, John's screams got quieter and quieter as he lost energy, and the female wolf tired herself out as well, fully content on her daily dose of her sadistic torture. Before exiting the room, she left two bowls filled with a nasty tasting gruel and a pale of water in the corner and picked up the camera, putting her instruments back on the tray before exiting the cell she was in.

"Today was fun John, looking forward to tomorrow" she cooed through the small cell door window. "Be sure to eat up, we don't want you dying on us just yet~" Looking over into the corner of John's cell, she continued "And that includes you too dearie, if you don't want to be like your friend over there, you must eat" while glaring with her glowing blue orbs at the little white wolf cub, who was curled into the corner as far as she could force herself. Leaving the cell block while being escorted by her bodyguards, the cell block was left quiet once again, the only light being the dim and flickering lights in the hallway.

The chains holding John up released with a mechanical clang, allowing John to slide to the floor, now with enough leeway to move around the cell. John didn't move, laying there face down, as he attempted to reconfigure his mind which had been shattered once again. Right now, John looked horrible, as can be expected. What had once been a pair of jeans were ripped and torn almost all the way to the middle of his thighs, stained red, brown, and black by dried blood. He was still shirtless with residual mud mixed with blood covering his torso, and his shoes and socks were discarded somewhere making him barefoot.

The backpack he was originally wearing, the one with his phone and iPod, was nowhere to be found. He reeked of the smell of blood, and his claws were still extended. He found he was unable to voluntarily retract them, which seemed to be his bodies' response at the treatment he was subjected too, an instinctive reaction of his body wanting to defend itself. His constitution was in worse shape. Not being fed appropriately for extended periods of time, combined with the fact his body needed to constantly heal itself made John look like he was an Auschwitz survivor.

His stomach was completely sunken in, completely exposing all of his ribs while his arms and legs were reduced to string like appendages. He looked vastly different than he did before, and that was due to something he never really considered about his constitution: Healing took energy. While he could heal a rate that was unexplainable by nature, his own body was literally sucking the energy from itself to keep up with the ridiculous amount of healing he repeatedly had to do.

What John was able to notice despite the pain, however, was how his healing was beginning to slow down as his body could no longer meet the energy demand. Though, this new revelation was the last thing on his mind as he asked himself the same question over and over:

'Why?' 'Why?' 'Why am I going through this?'

John was beginning to lose himself, the pain from the torture overriding his other memories and emotions. To John, it felt like he had been here for an eternity, and memories from before arriving were slowly beginning to fade, being forcibly replaced by horrible memories of suffering. John continued to lay face down against the cold concrete floor, torso covered with fresh blood, with his eyes glazed over. A completely defeated and pitiable display.

Everything he knew was slowly being stripped away, the grey areas in his life being forced to one of two extremes. All notions of evil quickly became personified by the evil white wolf, while another mammal, one sharing his cell, he found, quickly came to personify all things good. Flexing his neck, he lifted his head and looked over with his dead, emotionless eyes at the little white wolf sitting there in the corner of the cell, who was looking staring back at him with sadness and pity.

Slowly, she stood up and walked right over to John, before lifting his head and placing it on her soft lap as her tears fell, rolling down the sides of his face creating a trail through the dried mud and blood. She had witnessed everything, everything that was inflicted upon John, and she felt heartache at his anguish. People need something to believe in, to fight for, and when under extreme stress, people tend to look for something tangible to latch on to emotionally, like a little girl who becomes attached to a doll or toy when being abused.

The concept became reality for John, as he found something worth fighting for. Something real and within reach that gave him hope in the midst of his despair. A little white wolf cub named "Nia" with pink eyes in a cute and slightly torn floral dress. When he was first thrown in here, he found himself sharing a cell with this little wolf cub, and had quickly become attached to her after learning her name.

Days ago

"Hey stop pushing!" grumbled John as he was blindly shoved forward, each of his arms being held by a strong grip. Attempting to tune his hearing to his surroundings, since there was some kind of potato smelling sack placed on his head, he was led into what he assumed was an elevator since it began descending while playing annoyingly calm music. From the length of the ride, he guessed that he was now deep underground, a realization that gave him chills, reminding him of his not so pleasant nightmares about being a lab rat.

'This is not good…' he kept thinking to himself. When he had first arrived, he had vainly struggled against his captors, but it was pointless. Being restrained on top of the fact there were bodyguards everywhere like some kind of army meant he was trapped with no realistic hope of escape. 'Wonder what happened to that cheetah' he pondered as he stood in silence waiting for the infuriatingly calm music to end. After the elevator had come to a stop, John was swiftly pushed forward once more and led down what he assumed was a hallway.

It was very hard to get his bearings, being blindfolded and all, but the smell, oooh man, the smell was already killing him. John did not have a canine's nose, but he could definitely detect smells much better than any person from what he could recall, and right now the stench of feces, bodily fluids, and a musky aroma made him want to gag. It smelled like death mixed with the smells any animal circus would have, and no-one had bothered to do anything about it from what his burning nostrils were telling him.

"You could at least do something about the smell…" John offhandedly commented, only to be smacked across the back of the skull with a blunt object, causing no small amount of hurt. "HEY" he protested loudly before the sack suddenly flew off his face, disorienting him for a second before he realized he was standing in front of a cell door. The surroundings were dimly lit by florescent bulbs hanging off the ceiling, and John had to squint to see anything farther than five feet. Opening the creaky metal door, John was pushed into what would become his temporary residence, at least he assumed. 'Looks cozy…' he mentally deadpanned as he grimaced with the knowledge he was literally being thrown into an underground prison. A scuttle of movement in the corner caught his eye.

A little puff of fur in a what looked like a tiny dress was watching the newcomers warily as she hid in the furthest corner of the cell, where the light barely reached making her hard to notice even though she was purely white. 'A puppy…no wait that can't be right…it looks like a… wolf pup?' John thought to himself as he was dragged to the back of the room. Looking up as they shoved him forward, John noticed four straps handing down by chains that fed into the wall. 'Uh oh…this does not bode well' were his thoughts as they began clamping down said restraints onto each of his arms before removing the bindings.

Seizing the brief opportunity, John tried to swipe his claws at the wolf in front of him, only to be intercepted and beaten by the larger tigers who spared no strength in punching him in the stomach and face, forcing him to discontinue his resistance. After his arms were secured, they tried to move on to his feet, but found his shoes and socks were in the way. Rolling her eyes, the she-wolf had the tigers remove the shoes and socks before strapping the restraints onto his ankles. Rubbing her muzzle in thought as she looked him up and down, something that John was puzzled at, the wolf pulled out a pocketknife immediately making John nervous. Eyeing the knife as she unfolded it slowly in front of him, smiling playfully at his clearly noticeable dislike of the item in her paw, she reached forward, causing John to flinch.

*Snip*

John opened his eyes to see the strap on his backpack cut as the wolf reached around and cut the strap on the other side, resulting in the backpack sliding to the floor. "Don't worry dear…" the wolf began while referring to his earlier discomfort. "There will be plenty of that later~" she said while grinning with a glint in her eyes that made John involuntarily gulp in fear. 'She is crazy, the woman/wolf/whatever is crazy' he concluded with worry. Grabbing the backpack, she left the room, closing the cell door, while John hung there against the wall, still unable to move.

He was beginning to feel concern that he would forever be stuck in that strenuous position, before the straps suddenly slackened, allowing him to slide to the floor as he caught himself. For the first time in a while, it was relatively quiet and John sat there not knowing what to do. Moving to the sides of the cell he peered through the bars to see if he could see anyone, but found that the cells adjacent to his were empty. Further down, he could barely see various mammals laying down in their own cells, but John could not fully tell.

'Oh wait…' remembered John. Looking into the corner of the cell, he spotted the little wolf cub eyeing him with what he considered a "stranger alert" glare, similar to one children would give to a grown man asking them if they wanted free candy while standing in a dark alleyway. Trying to sound as non-threatening as possible, John began while scratching his head "So…". The cub's immediate reaction was to flinch while curling her tail between her legs as her ears pinned back. He had already scared her.

Internally, John slapped himself for already completely failing his first impression, but he would not give up. "Hey kid, can you tell me where we are…?" he tried again. Her response was to run full speed across the cell and hide in the corner furthest away from John while giving him the same glare as before. Rubbing his face in defeat, he internally groaned 'This is going to take a while'

The next day

*WIRRRRRRRRRRRRR*

"GUAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH! STOP DAMMIT"

*WIRRRRRRRRRRRRRGHGGHHGGHHG*

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH FUCKING STOP!" roared John as the drill hit his femur causing a nauseating grinding sound. His guess had been right…she was insane. Right now the she-wolf was drilling holes into his body and watching them heal with fascination and glee.

"Ah, it's like you were made just for me John~" she giggled as she continued her "fun". Over in the corner, the little wolf scrunched up as far as she could into the nook, petrified at what she was seeing. The chains holding John up clanked together as he struggled to break free, but alas, despite his immense strength he was unable to overpower steel. John's entire body was covered in sweat as he flexed all his muscles at once, trying to bear with the pain. After a while, the wolf moved on to different methods of harm, each having her own special twist in order to amplify the sensation of suffering.

At last, she finished off with a test, shooting John in the stomach with a regular pistol, causing him to double over with a grunt, and watching curiously as the bullet was forced out while the wound closed. "Incredible, John you are truly one of a kind" the wolf remarked after seeing his rather unique abilities for the thousandth time. Despite witnessing it over and over, it was still incredible to watch, and Luna mentally applauded herself for taking the risk to catch him. Exiting the room after gathering her things, the wolf spoke up over her shoulder "Rest up John, tomorrow we're going to step it up a notch. Got to really showcase that ability of yours~"

John looked up with disbelief on his face. Today was probably the worst thing he had ever experienced, and she was basically referring to it as a "warm up". 'Lord help me' he silently prayed as she left, closing the cell. After a couple minutes, the chains lowered, likely from the wolf pressing a button, and John slid to the floor landing on his knees as he tried to compose himself. "That sucked…" he wheezed out as he laid back against the wall, occasionally glancing over at the little wolf cub who was watching him warily, with a hint of something new in her eyes that John couldn't place a finger on.

After a while, he heard someone coming down the hall and he tuned his ears to listen. They were rolling something down the hallway on what sounded like a trolley before the little hatch at the bottom of the cell door opened and two metal bowls were slid through. John got up and walked to where the bowls sat, and peered at their contents. One was clearly water while the other held some kind of light brown gruel, which John assumed must be their food, and it did not smell pleasant.

Sighing in realization that this was how he was going to be treated from now on, he grabbed the bowls and walked back to his original position before sitting down. John noticed the cub eyeing the bowls in his hands with sadness, as if afraid he was going to eat everything. Ignoring her looks of longing, he started with the food, which tasted just as bad as it smelled, but he ignored it since well…fuel was fuel, and he was hungry. Making sure to leave half for the pup, he moved on to the water where he did the same, only drinking half.

When he was finished, he held one of the bowls in the direction of the pup and asked "You want some?". Flinching at being addressed, she responded with a pouty "NO!" as her look betrayed her words, still eyeing the bowl with desire. As if it was comically timed, her stomach grumbled audibly causing John to chuckle. He could have sworn she was blushing, seeing a little red hue form under the fur of her face as she continued to pout. A little exasperated, John declared in annoyance "Look kid, I'm not going to hurt you, just take the damn food…"

Still watching John hesitantly, she inched her way out of the corner slowly towards John with little baby steps. It was amusing to John, watching her internal balancing act of hunger and fear, like holding out meat to a hungry stray dog. When she got within a few feet, John finally got a good look at her. She was a totally white wolf from the tip of her ears to the end of her tail, her fur an even brighter shade of white than the wolf who was torturing him earlier, like pure snow. From what he could tell, even the skin underneath the fur was white, which only amplified the white glow she emitted, only being stifled by the pink dress she was wearing covering her chest and legs.

The most interesting aspect to John, however, were her eyes. The irises were pink, like pink diamonds, contrasting starkly with the rest of her white frame. John had learned about what that meant when he did research about strange afflictions years ago (for reasons that are obvious, being himself): 'Albino…she is an albino, neat…' he thought as she was almost within grabbing distance of the bowl. Reaching out to grab the bowl out of his hands, the white cub trembled with anxiety as John remained perfectly still in order not to startle her. Once the bowl was in her possession, she took several steps back, sat down, and began slurping the gruel hungrily despite her muzzle curling in disgust.

Watching her carefully, he saw as she finished and sighed in content, only to look at the water bowl currently sitting in front of John with the same look she had before. Rolling his eyes, John held out the water bowl and repeated the process. When she was done, she sat down, still far from John, but not exactly in the corner, and laid there, staring at him while John just sat against the wall.

An uncomfortable silence loomed in the cell as John tried to ignore the gaze of curiosity the little wolf was watching him with. Clearly, she wasn't as afraid of him anymore, since John hadn't bothered to do anything threatening, and now she was clearly bored. Unable to bear with the silence anymore, he spoke up "What's your name kid?", breaking the ice that had developed.

"Ummm…" the cub debated to herself at whether or not to tell him as if it was a life or death question, something that John thought was funny. "My name is Nia" she finally responded cautiously, as if John was going to do something evil with that information. Snorting in reply, he said "Well then…Nia, could you please stop staring at me?". She blinked in surprise and blushed hard, the tips of her ears going red, as she mumbled quietly while looking down "Sorry"

It got quiet once more, and John tried to fall asleep to pass the time, but every time he looked over at the cub, he would see her swing her head away, clearly trying to avoid getting caught gawking at him. Deciding he could ignore it no more, partly because he was annoyed and partly because he was bored himself, he cleared his throat to get her attention and asked "Ok kid, just say what you want to say so I don't get holes burnt into the back of my head from you watching me". The expression of the cub brightened at being acknowledged and she immediately asked with a childlike innocence "What are you?" John rubbed his face in irritation. 'Why is that always the first question? Why can't it ever be, _so how was your day_ or something _?_ ' "Well you see…" John began to explain what he was to the little wolf, who listened with her full attention.

Hours passed as John and Nia talked, the little cub warming up to him as he explained what he was and how he got here. From what John could tell, the cub seemed to like listening to his stories of his time with Jacob and the wild wolves. It was mostly John doing the talking though, as he answered most of her questions. But when John tried to ask her any, like where she came from, she immediately became uncomfortable, forcing John to change the subject. So far, all he learned from her was her name, but by the time he ran out of things to talk about, she was noticeably closer to him and her initial fear had all but been eradicated.

A silence fell over the cell once more, this one much more comfortable then the last since the cub had curled up and fallen asleep. 'Must be nice to have fur…' John thought as he tried falling asleep himself, which was rather difficult considering how cold and uncomfortable the cell was. After unsuccessfully trying to fall asleep for the hundredth time, he glanced over at the cub curled up nearby and he noticed something: she was shivering, letting out small whines as her legs twitched. 'Probably a nightmare, can't really blame her…' thought John sadly. Scooting closer towards her, he started slowly petting her head in some small attempt to calm her. It seemed to work, as she stopped whining and her breathing calmed down.

John continued to pet the cub's head as her breathing became more and more relaxed. It was almost soothing to be petting her head, similar to petting a dog, and the repetitiveness of it was helping him become sleepy. Eventually, John could no longer keep his eyes open, so he scooted off a couple feet and laid back down, hoping that he could finally escape into his dreams.

*Pat* *Pat* *Pat*

John heard the patter of tiny feet coming towards him, but he didn't bother to open his eyes because this felt like was his only realistic chance at actually falling asleep. However, the footsteps stopped and he involuntarily opened his eyes when he felt something crawling into his legs. Looking down, he saw the tiny wolf sitting while making herself comfortable in the nook of his thighs, which were crossed together to maintain heat. "Do I look like a couch to you?" he grumbled sleepily to the little cub. Nia just cocked her head, giving him a pleading look, before curling herself into a ball and falling asleep in his lap.

A couple of thoughts went through his head as he looked upon the cub sleeping peacefully. His initial reaction was slight injustice at how she was using him like a bed, but after seeing how miserable she was earlier, he decided to just let his pettiness go. Besides, she was warming his legs and her sleeping face, he grudgingly admitted, was too cute to disturb. Sighing in acceptance, he pet her head and laid back down himself before sleep was finally able to take him.

The next few days followed a pretty simple schedule. In the morning, the she-wolf would come and repeatedly torture John in front of a camera in ways that only seemed to get more elaborate and painful, followed by the rest of the day spent idling around in the cell, eating and telling stories to Nia, who loved listening to them but still adamantly refused to talk about herself, despite John being curious. At night, as if by unspoken agreement, the cub would curl up in John's lap and fall asleep, without protest from John who found he was becoming more and more attached to the cub. It was a bittersweet cycle, but the pain was becoming harder to bear with each passing morning. And now he just went through the worst session yet.

Back to the present

It was such a simple act, putting his head on her lap as she cried for him, but to John, who was going through what he was going through, it meant everything. It was a little ironic to John, how one white furred wolf had come to represent everything bad in the world while another white furred wolf suddenly came to mean the world to him.

"I told you not to cry pup, you will make your parents sad" John spoke, his voice coming out raspy and dry as he lay still. His voice was unusually sore (a feeling he wasn't used too) from the screaming he had been doing earlier. Her response was only to cry more, making John feel an ocean of guilt. Not fully understanding how he upset her, he quickly changed the subject. "Hey, Nia…" she looked at him closely listening to what he was about to say. "Can you…can you get me the water bowl, please?"

She stopped crying, to John's relief, as she nodded her head furiously. Luckily for John, she was still a child and easy to distract, and John giving her a task filled her with a sense of purpose which she wanted to fulfill. Carefully placing his head down, she trotted over to the two bowls, curling her muzzle in disgust at the smell coming from the gruel bowl. As quick as she could, she picked up the water bowl and began carefully walking back to John, only to abruptly trip over her own feet causing the water bowl to hit the ground with a resounding *clang*, spilling water everywhere as she fell.

She began to bawl at her own failure, a sound which broke John's heart. 'God dammit, she shouldn't be crying. Something so sweet shouldn't be crying…' he thought as be lifted his frail body onto his knees with great effort. Crawling over to the little cub, he scooped her into his emaciated arms and placed her onto his lap as he sat up, her small frame fitting snugly in his lap, a role reversal from earlier. She hugged his front, her claws pinching into his sides as she cried. Being locked up and alone as a little cub had been utterly terrifying to her and she had quickly found comfort in the mammal that was locked up with her.

John didn't know why they were locked in the same cell, but he was sure grateful she was with him. Scratching the back of her head, right behind the ears, he let show a ghost of a smile as her tail slowly started wagging. Her crying went from bawling, to sniffling, to high pitched whines, her muzzle still buried into his sunken stomach. "Hey pup, I told you not to cry. I wasn't thirsty anyway" John said as soothingly as he could with such a raspy voice. Obviously, he was incredible thirsty, but she didn't need to know that. She looked up at him as he stared back down at her, her puppy dog eyes cutting through his negativity and sucker punching him straight in the heartstrings.

To John, she was literally a puppy and human baby combined to form something so unfathomably adorable, that despite everything he was going through, he couldn't resist pinching her furry cheeks, an action which she giggled at while playfully attempting to swat his hand away while completely forgetting about her previous mistake. 'God dammit' John thought to himself, her giggling causing him to burst at the seams with affection as he smiled genuinely back down at her, the pup relaxing comfortably in his embrace. At this point, he was well aware at how smitten he was with this cute little wolf pup. 'I swear, if it's the last thing I do, I will get her out of this place' he promised himself with conviction.

In Luna's Office

"He is certainly a unique specimen…" spoke a voice distorted by some device.

"Yes…it would be quite entertaining watching him fight with some of my…experiments" another distorted voice chimed in.

"Are you all fools…how can you not see the potential his body holds. He should be dissected and studied" added a third mammal. Luna smiled as she sat at her desk, the mammals in her encrypted secure group chat spoke amongst themselves while she listened in. On her computer, their faces were represented only by their chosen letter code-name, a way that ensured privacy amongst each other. The mammals in question only knew each other by their code-names, so their real identities would not be revealed should any of them every be taken down by the police, another crafty way to ensure their own safety.

Luna spoke up, interrupting their conversations "Ladies and gentle mammals, I need to remind you that I am low on time. The bidding for the unique mammal known as John will continue until next week with the current highest bidder being held by _M_ with a bid of 10 million". A bunch of angry garbled voices all spoke up at once in protest while _M_ rebuked them all smugly.

" _M_ , we all know about your hobbies of collecting rare specimens, but what use is holding him in a cell just to gawk at forever? Can you not see the potential he holds medically? You have seen what we have all have seen; his in-mammalian abilities need to be researched!"

 _M_ retorted "HMPH! If you all want him so badly, put your money where your mouth is. I will do whatever I please!".

A disgruntled "UGH" was all that was heard in reply, the mammal likely not having enough capital to compete.

"On another side note, the albino wolf cub is also up for sale and her current max bid is also held by _M_ with a current bid of two million. "Hahahaha, I will have to thank you _L_ for your acquisition of such fine specimens" he responded, the distorted voice not masking the smugness in his voice. The other mammals in the group chat were quite displeased with this, for although they were wealthy, they didn't have the gall to just throw money around like this _M_ character for a couple of oddities, which made several of them wonder who he really was.

But alas, they had more important things to do with their time and money, most of them leaving after realizing they couldn't outbid _M_ when it came to mammal purchases. Eventually, the conversations ceased and everyone disconnected, leaving to continue their less than savory businesses, save for two mammals. ' _S_ and _Q_? What do they want?' Luna thought with intrigue. " _Q_ , is there anything you have to add, I have other things to do you know" she spoke with feigned annoyance in hopes _Q_ would skip to the point.

"Yes, although I can't afford the fur-less one…" _Q_ continued with an almost pleading tone. "How much for some of his blood? I would really like to personally research the secrets his body holds if I can't get him myself"

Luna thought hard for a moment. "25,000 dollars for a vial" she replied after some time.

"DEAL! I will purchase two. We will discuss a transfer address later…"

*Beep* _Q_ disconnected. Hearing how quickly _Q_ accepted the deal, Luna somewhat regretted her initial price. 'Damn, should have asked for fifty…oh well'. Looking at her screen she realized the only one left was one of her long time loyal customers: _S_. "Now then…what can I do for you _S_?" Luna asked politely.

With a leading tone, _S_ began "Now _L_ , over the years we have done quite a bit of business together, so I am what you could call a _loyal_ customer…" Luna agreed with that, recalling the specific mammals she had sold _S_ in the past. With that knowledge, she had a pretty good idea of what kind of "hobby" he had, one that even disturbed her a little, but she didn't complain since money was money after all. _S_ continued "So I have a proposition for you. Before me I see a rare…opportunity, so to speak, but I simply cannot best _M_ with money…" he spat ' _M'_ with bitterness.

"Therefore, I have a special request to make..."

"Oh, and what is that?" replied Luna with curiosity.

"How about a personal "visit" with the cub before you sell her to _M_?"

Luna's muzzle involuntarily curled as she snarled in disgust, but before she could refuse, _S_ cut right back in saying "I will give you 500,000!"

Luna's refusal died on her lips. Her mind raced very fast, calculating possible ways this could backfire against her. Deciding after weighing the pros and cons, she responded threateningly with a growl " _M_ must not find out, do you understand me?"

The distortion didn't mask his jovial tone "Crystal clear, I will arrange things with you later. Cheers!"

*Beep*

Luna sat back in her chair, very satisfied with the way things were turning out, despite _S_ 's request. It was bad business to go behind one of her customers backs like this, but since _S_ was indeed a very loyal customer (and since he was offering a shitload of money), she agreed to his request. She was about to make more profit in one sale than the past three years combined. This knowledge inevitably brought a smile to her face.

Standing up, she walked towards her office doors, opening them only to find her cub standing right outside as if waiting for her. "Hi mommy!" he spoke while bearing an adorable grin on his face. Smiling back, she picked him up and started carrying him to his room as she nuzzled his face. Climbing onto her head as she walked down the hallway, he began excitedly "Mommy, the new mammal is sooooo cool! There is this one video where he…" the cub went off on a tangent, describing what his friends in school had shown him on the internet.

The mother wolf just smiled as she listened to her little cub drone on and on about John as he gesticulated wildly with his arms in his childlike attempts to make his descriptions more exciting. She was filled with humor at the knowledge that she was holding the mammal her son was referring to literally a hundred meters below her. Eventually, his rant came to an end, and he finished with a longing sigh. "I really wish I could meet him, that would be so cool…" Luna halted her steps. She was incredibly ruthless, vile, and menacing, but when it came to her cub, she would do absolutely anything for him.

An idea flowed like water into her mind. "Would you like to meet him dear?" The cub's eyes couldn't have opened any wider as he nodded his head vigorously in response. "Well…" she began with a hinting tone. "If you go to bed like a good little cub, maybe I can arrange it"

The cub looked down at her with eyes full of doubt before asking "You promise?"

"Cross my heart sweetie" she replied while performing the motion. Reaching his room, she tucked him under the covers before kissing his forehead while whispering "Good night dear"

"Night mom" he yawned in reply as he got cozy under the soft blankets. Stepping outside of the room, she nodded at the tiger bodyguard standing there who nodded back before heading back to her office while whistling. 'Oh Fang, wait till you see what mommy's got in store for you' she thought as she was already beginning to imagine the surprise on her son's face.

Back Underground

John lay against the back wall, drifting in and out of sleep, as the little wolf cub sat curled on his lap. She was breathing peacefully, enjoying the heat and comfort that John was providing, since it was cold and there were no beds, blankets, or pillows in any of the cells. Because of the lack of sunlight or any form of clock, John didn't know how much time had passed before the loud sounds of a machine started whirring as his chains were pulled back into the wall.

Groaning in dismay, he was lifted up into the air once again, the little cub falling off his lap and watching, scared for her new friend, but helpless to assist him. Being pinned to the wall by the chains once more, the door to the cell opened, revealing the familiar and sharply dressed white wolf from hell. At her appearance, the little wolf cub ran straight into the corner of the cell in an attempt to make herself scarce. Trying to mentally prepare himself for what he thought was coming, he was puzzled by the lack of equipment she was carrying in. That led him to notice something else.

'Why is she dressed so formally' he thought in confusion, perplexed at how she was dressed as if she was going to a business meeting. She walked right up to him as he was hanging completely defenseless against the wall and started pulling something from behind her back. John closed his eyes and braced himself for what he assumed was going to be a strike against his body, but it never came. Instead, one of two things happened. He felt something sharp prick him in the thigh, then he felt something cold and metallic be put around his neck and shut with a *click* sound.

Opening his eyes, he saw the sharply dressed she-wolf take a step back, put two vials of what he assumed was his blood into her pockets, and return the same hand to her muzzle, holding it as if admiring a painting. John craned his neck, but it was useless as he still could not see what was placed around his windpipe. Looking at her with a mixture of hate, fear, and confusion, he raised his eyebrow in defiance as if to say "The fuck did you put on my neck?". Answering his unspoken question, she pulled out what look like a white plastic gun that looked like a scanner, before dangling it in front of his face tauntingly. 'What the hell is that supposed to…'

*Click* She pressed the trigger.

"GUAAAAAAAAAAAAA" John roared as his body coursed with almost lethal levels of electricity, even worse than the electric fence. The little cub in the corner, whimpered as she watched her friend suffer. John continued to twitch and spasm while screaming for a solid minute before the she-wolf, who had been watching the whole time with a smirk on her face, took her hand of the trigger. Leaning in close to John, she whispered a threat his ear, "I am going to be taking you somewhere. I highly encourage you not to resist, or I will be putting one of these on your friend in the corner"

Breathing heavily, John looked over at the little cub in the corner whose eyes were wide with fear, and he immediately knew he was beaten. Switching his gaze back to the wolf, he hung his head and reluctantly spat out "Yes ma'am…" in submission. She smiled, delighted by his compliance, as she ordered her bodyguard to come into the room. Handing him the key, the large tiger unlocked the straps on John's wrists and ankles, completely freeing him for the first time in god knows how long. John fell to his feet, stumbling as he tried to right himself, the tiger grasping his arm firmly.

"Let's take a walk John~" she hummed as he was led out of the cell.

"WAIT!" squeaked a high pitched voice from the corner of his cell. John inwardly winced at the cry.

"DON'T GO! PLEASE DON'T LEAVE ME ALONE!" Feeling something clinging to his leg, John looked down to see the cub looking at him with panic in her eyes. If the little cub had asked John to jump of a cliff with that face, he would have done so in a heartbeat, but he knew he had to obey the she-wolf or else she would suffer. Bending down, he patted her head and whispered to her "Don't worry, I will come back"

He wasn't sure himself, but he wanted to re-assure her, even if just for a little while. The little cub, as if she could tell he wasn't being honest, clung harder to his leg before letting out a defiant "NO!". The she-wolf, who had been watching the entire time, rolled her eyes before swiftly pressing the white button once more, sending a quick jolt of electricity through John who growled in reply.

"Yes yes, that is very touching. Now let's go" she spoke with warning. Knowing it was best to heed her demands, he picked the little cub up by the scruff before prying her off his leg and dropping her back into the cell as the door closed. She started crying, and John felt like the biggest asshole ever, but he had no choice. He followed the wolf who was flanked by a bodyguard on each side of her with a third giant tiger bodyguard following closely behind him with an arm on his shoulder, to prevent John from getting any ideas.

It was funny to John, how they thought he could even remotely fight back in his current condition, but he understood how cautious she was being. Now what he really wanted to know was: 'Where are we going?'

He was led down the hallway down a couple of turns and through the sealed control room before finding himself in front of an elevator, one that had a card swipe and keypad. They got into the elevator after she entered the correct digits which he attempted to peak at but was stopped by the tiger at his back, and started slowly ascending into the unknown. John could not remember a more comically awkward elevator ride, since the damn thing was actually playing elevator music to the tune of some relaxing classical instruments while John stood there surrounded on all sides by three huge tigers in suits.

The door opened, and John was led out into a well-furnished hallway that he concluded must be part of some mansion somewhere. Being shoved along, he was pushed into a room with white tiled walls and tiled floor. 'A shower room, what is this?' he asked himself, looking at his captor with confusion.

The wolf spoke up "You have five minutes to get clean, I suggest you use them since you smell awful" He knew it wasn't a suggestion, but he just shrugged his shoulders and turned one of the faucets on, feeling the rush of hot water cleaning away the grime on his body. It was a blissful moment for John, one of the very few he had recently, and he took as much pleasure as he could from it while scrubbing off the built up grime all over his body. He was slightly annoyed by the collar rubbing against his neck, as it itched severely when he was cleaning himself.

Turning off the faucet, he felt something smack him in the back of the head, realizing right away that he was thrown a towel. Drying himself off, he then was thrown a pair of jeans and a plain white tee shirt. Now he was completely stumped. 'What the fuck is she doing?' he kept asking himself. It almost seemed too good to be true. The wolf, the cause of his worst suffering, was allowing him to take a shower and even giving him clothes. His mind was screaming at him that this was all a ruse of some kind, but he currently did not have the option of swimming against the tide, so he was forced to just "go with the flow" on today's particularly strange turn of events.

Changing out of his ruined jeans into the new jeans and t-shirt, he stepped out of the shower room and followed the group as they led him down a couple of turns and into a dining room. The smell hit him before he could see it. A delicious aroma of foods that made his mouth water in anticipation. After having nothing but that horrible gruel he was used too, anything else that remotely resembled food just smelled so inviting. Walking into the very spacious dining hall, he focused on the racks of cuisines sitting on top of a beautiful mahogany table with a red tablecloth.

Being pushed forward, two of the tigers closed the door while remaining outside, leaving only John, the wolf, and a single bodyguard standing by the door. John had to almost physically restrain himself from attacking the food, but he stared blankly at the wolf who was enjoying watching John's mental dilemma as he practically radiated suspicion.

"Sit" she told him while taking a seat at the opposite end of the table. John numbly obliged, and stared at the food for another ten seconds before his inhibitions went out the window. He began tearing into the meal, ignoring the glare the wolf was sending him at his lack of table manners.

'Fuck your etiquette' were his thoughts as he grabbed whatever he could reach and stuffed it into his mouth, forcing it all down by drinking directly from the water pitcher, not even bothering to use the glass. He had briefly considered that she might have drugged or poisoned the food, but he internally laughed as he continued to eat. 'Not like it's gonna kill me anyway, might as well use this chance' The wolf at the other end didn't touch the food, and she quietly watched as John ate with a purpose.

Time passed, and the she-wolf's mood went from annoyed, to curious, to surprised, to shocked, to completely bewildered. John would not stop eating, and he quickly cleaned out all the chicken, vegetables and various fruits that were in front of him before standing up and grabbing more food from down the table and bringing it back. Luna just could not understand how he could physically eat that much, for this was way beyond her expectations. John was still a total enigma to her. Taking a closer look, she marveled how John had already seemed to gain another twenty pounds, something that should have been impossible.

Now that she was paying attention, she could almost see John growing in size as he ate like a madman, recovering most of the weight he lost beforehand. John was also surprised himself. He had never had his body pushed into such a terrible state before, and he was delighted that his body was recovering as fast as it did. All the food entering his stomach was immediately being turned into fuel, digesting at an abnormal rate as his body repaired itself. 'It also tastes fucking amazing' his taste buds kept reminding him as the amount of food required to feed an elephant was forced into his tiny (in comparison) frame.

Eventually, he began to slow down, enough to see the looks of shock that both the wolf sitting across from his and the tiger standing by the door were wearing. "Whatcha looking at?" he asked rudely as he put his feet up on the table while calmly munching on an apple before belching loudly. John was at a very particular mental stage known as the "fuck everything" stage. Although he was allowed to take a shower and eat, it did nothing to assuage the hatred he felt for the wolf or this damned place, and he knew she wasn't doing this out of the "kindness" of her heart. There must be a reason for this.

Not beating around the bush, John asked as blunt as ever, "What do you want from me now?"

At this, the wolf smiled and said fondly, something he was not expecting, "I want you to just sit there and answer and any and all questions he might have. He is quite an inquisitive little thing, and he really wanted to meet you" her fond look turned into one of pure malice before continuing "If you say or do anything that I deem unsavory, you, and your tiny little friend, will suffer the consequences"

John visibly shuddered at the threat, because he knew how terrifying she could actually be, and he didn't have to be a genius to imagine what exactly those "consequences" could be. 'But what is she even talking about…?' he questioned in his head, still puzzled at his purpose of being here.

*Creeak*

John heard a wooden door directly behind him open and shut and a little voice spoke up "Mom, why did call for me?" John spun his chair around and locked eyes with ANOTHER white wolf cub, this one wearing some kind of pajamas. The little pup had a look of surprise and delight while John made the connection based on the kids startling blue eyes.

'Her son? Huh, I guess even a bitch can have kids'

The wolf pup then said something that made him frown "It's you! You're that cool new mammal!"

Looking back up to the supposed mother, John face was a mask of questions as he implied with his look "What is this?"

Taken aback by the look she was giving the cub, one of motherly warmth and affection (something he didn't think was possible, a mammal like her), he flinched when her gaze met his, amazed at how quickly her expression changed back into one of cold indifference. She spoke up playfully "John here is a guest, and I brought him to meet you, go ahead and ask him anything…" while giving John a glare and holding up the white switch that activates his collar up just enough so that he could see it.

John finally understood the point of what she was doing, and he didn't like it one bit. 'I am not a fucking roadside attraction' he thought bitterly. The last thing he wanted to do was entertain the son of the witch torturing him as a prisoner, but after glancing at the tiger with a hand on his revolver and the mother wolf with her hand on the button, he sighed loudly in defeat. He felt something grabbing at his new pants, and he saw the cub crawling up his leg before settling on his lap, looking up at him with his big curious eyes.

John really wanted to hate the kid, being the son of the bitch (literally), but he couldn't after seeing his face. It was devoid of all hostility and malice and held a childlike sense of wonder, something John couldn't force himself to hate no matter how hard he tried. Then the cub spoke: "Sowhatareyou?Didyoureallyfightwildwolves?Howlongareyourclaws?CanIseeyourclaws?Whatkindofteethdoyouhave?Blahblahblahblahblah" John was losing the fight with both his patience and his will to live under the weight of the questions he was being asked. Barely containing a shudder when he heard the she-wolf giggle at her son's antics, he pinched the mouth of the cub shut before saying slowly "One…at…a…time…ok?" The cub nodded his head furiously, and the Q and A session began.

John never got headaches, but he would often pretend like he could by rubbing his temples whenever something truly annoying was happening. For example, when a certain cub wouldn't leave him alone, crawling all over him like he was a jungle gym whilst examining every part of his body. The cub had asked to see John's claws, and after receiving a slight nod from his mom, he displayed them while the kid exclaimed in surprise and glee. Answering his questions, John explained they were made from bone, and were different from the claws the cub had.

The cub curiously gnawed on one of the boney blades with his teeth, which John admitted to himself was the weirdest sensation he had ever experienced. He like to equate his claws with his teeth, in how they didn't hurt when he used them regularly, only when they broke or were hit hard. Although John remained focused enough to answer the kits questions, he wasn't completely ignoring his surroundings either. His intuition was telling him there were more than those three guards he had seen, and right now his only possible bargaining chip was the kid sitting in his lap.

But he knew that even if he took the kid hostage, he would have to deal with the collar shock, as well as all the guards. John mentally shook his head after going through multiple plans. 'It's impossible' he told himself.

For 1) There were too many guards with weapons who were both bigger and probably well trained. Although size never mattered to John, who personally felt like he could hold his own even against an army of tigers, there was still problem 2) He was not going to leave Nia behind to suffer in his place. Not to mention 3) He had no idea where he would go or even where too go since he had no idea where he was at all. Besides 4) John felt it wasn't his style to use innocent kids as hostages, even in his case.

John quickly figured out that the kid had no idea what evils his mother was committing, which almost made him feel sorry for the cub to have such a parent. Nope, there was no way he could escape, so John decided that it was best he just enjoy the free food and comfort while he could while answering the cub's questions, which was hard when he was in the presence of the source of his suffering. Eventually, the tiny wolf became tired, despite acting tough, and his mother escorted her son out, leaving John alone with the single tiger bodyguard.

Feeling rather cheeky, John tossed an apple towards the tiger, who only watched it as it bounced off his suit, completely ignoring it as if it was a pebble. When the white witch returned, all his bad feelings from before resurfaced with a vengeance, but he stifled his temper as he was led back down into the depths of his hell. Walking past the mammals in their cells, each mammal eyed John with curiosity, since they saw how clean he was and with new clothes. They did not, however, envy him for it since they all knew what he was going through.

John walked back into his cell, Nia jumping and clutching him around the thigh as she whined in relief at his return, her tail wagging happily. Expecting to be either shocked or shot or whipped, it was almost anti-climactic when she simply shut the door to the cell and left without another word after locking it, not even bothering to put John back into the restraints. John held his breath for a couple more minutes before he distantly heard the elevator return to the surface. Sitting down against the wall, he held Nia in his arms, playing with her paws while she giggled. As he entertained the cute wolf cub, he kept thinking to himself while smiling down at Nia, 'Today wasn't so bad, I guess'

In the halls of the ZPD (Three days later: Tuesday, 1145 AM)

Jacob was nervously pacing back and forth as he waited for the appointed time to start taking questions. Standing there, he could hear the protesters outside clamoring, voicing out their legitimate concerns and fears regarding the unexplainable arrival of a new and undocumented mammal. The majority of them were either from various prey groups who were concerned with how savage John had appeared from what was shown on the news and internet while a smaller majority was formed by various predators who were less worried and more curious to learn about the new predator that had appeared.

It didn't need to be said, for it was like an unspoken truth for the predator population, but they all secretly felt obliged to defend the new mammal solely based on the fact that he was a new confirmed predator. A lot had happened in the recent months regarding the slowly degrading relations between predators and prey after the Nighthowler Incident. Although things were on the mend, the event confirmed, in general, what predators had always assumed about prey: that they will not give them the benefit of the doubt and that they held hidden prejudicial views about them.

Naturally, the discrimination against during said incident them had really helped predator communities bond closer together while alienating them from prey communities. In simpler terms, predators would defend their own. Even though the new mammal wasn't a part of the incident in any way, he was secretly being supported by the diverse predator groups who were only there to both learn more about him, and balance out the negativity against him. Of course, whenever two conflicting ideals or beliefs are brought together, conflicts are bound to arise, and very quickly several smaller arguments began to form prompting the local police to intervene when necessary.

All of this was not lost on the Chief, who was rubbing his face in regret. 'Why did I agree to this?' he kept asking himself as he stood by the front desk next to Clawhauser, who was fidgeting nervously in his presence. The large cape buffalo was regretting agreeing to his smallest officer's request when he heard Clawhauser clear his throat and say "Sir, is there something you need?" Bogo only now realized he had spaced out looking into his coffee mug while standing right in front of the desk.

Collecting himself, he responded gruffly "Yes, have officers Francine and Delgato head outside to help break up the fights that will inevitable start. Tell Officer Hopps that I want her in my office after this press conference.

"Roger that sir, Clawhauser saluted promptly before Bogo snorted and left, probably to return to said office. Across the huge hall, the press mammals were eagerly discussing amongst themselves as Jacob stood in the corner, his sister Judy patting him on the back.

"Don't be so nervous Jacob…" she consoled him, "Just tell them what you told us, the truth. But don't be baited into saying something you might regret". Remembering her first conference, Judy shuddered at the memory of breaking the already thin membrane that was holding this city together, something she was still working hard to repair. Nick just stood by, picking at his nails as he watched the news mammals with scorn. He did not like anything to do with the mass media, for they were the reason so much bad had happened recently.

Not only did they fuel the flames of fear for the prey population after Judy's blunder of a news conference, they also took no responsibility for its aftermath once it cleared up. "This is going to be awkward" Jacob spoke up, attempting to but failing to calm his nerves. He never did like public speaking, and now with the recent reports coming out about the attack on the military, he knew questions were bound to lead down that road, eventually bringing up a topic he didn't want to talk about, how he had screwed them over.

'Ok, he goes everything' he thought depressingly as he set stepped forward towards the podium, the appointed time arriving. Jumping onto a step stool, he was greeted by multiple flashes of light, momentarily blinding him as they all started asking questions at once. Before Jacob could even speak however, he heard an even louder commotion coming from the front desk. The Chief had run out of his office looking rather flustered as he made several calls over the intercom calling for officers to return to the station and other calls for officers to grab their gear.

Jacob, from the podium could see what was happening and was momentarily speechless, his gaze being soon followed by the gathering of members of the media, who turned to see an angry looking Buffalo stomping his way towards them.

"INTERVIEW IS OVER, EVERYONE OUT" he boomed in a deep voice, startling the media mammals who all looked indignant at being told to leave before they could even ask any questions.

"Chief Bogo, why are you making us leave? What is going on?" spoke up a beaver holding a microphone.

Bogo just glared at him before grunting out "Police business. If you stay I will consider it an obstruction of police duties…now, GET OUT! He finished with a growl. The media mammals wasted no time in exiting the premises, leaving behind a dazed Jacob standing on a podium.

"You… stay here and wait in the conference room, we will need to talk later..."

"What is going on Chief?" he asked reflexively. Leveling his glare at him, the large Chief responded with "We just received a rather disturbing call. We think we know where your _friend_ is..." Turning around, the Chief finished the sentence in his head as he trotted back to the front desk to continue relaying instructions '...along with several other mammals that went missing'

Before he could make it back to Clawhauser, he was flanked by his two smallest officers. "Chief, what is going on?" Judy asked with apprehension in her voice, her eyes full of concern. Nick stood by waiting for the Chief's response, his face an unreadable mask of indifference. The Chief stopped walking and turned towards them, before letting out a small grin, one that stunned the two smaller officers, for Bogo never smiled. He spoke with what the duo assumed was the "Bogo" equivalent of excitement, AKA just above complete indifference. "Get to the armory and await further orders. We have a big fish to catch..."

Back Underground (Same day three hours earlier: 0845 AM)

John sat in a comfortable silence on the concrete floor of his cell, the light breaths of the cub sleeping on his lap calming his nerves, which at this point were shot. Although the she-wolf had not been back down her for one of her little sessions in the past couple days, which he expected was almost like her version of a reward. John snorted in hatred.

'Yea, humor my son and I won't torture you senseless…fuck her!'. The only times anyone came down here was to slide him and the other cell inhabitants disgusting food and water through a sliding hatch at the bottom of each cell door. John was still dreading his (and Nia's) uncertain future. Scratching where the collar touched his skin, he was perturbed for the thousandth time. 'This fucking thing itches' he would lament as he tried everything he could to satisfy the urge, even going so far as to stick one of his claws in to try and get it.

Nothing worked, as the collar was on just tight enough to allow no freedom but still allow him to breath. During this time of relative peace, he had attempted to communicate with the other mammals locked in various cells around his. The cell block was basically a rectangle with square cells to each other in block-by-block fashion, similar to a jail. The only difference were that the walls separating each cell were not walls, but steel beams connecting from the concrete floor to the concrete ceiling.

Because of this, John could through to the other cells, all the way down his side of the cell block. Although he had tried calling to them, none of the mammals, even the ones he could see, would respond, as if they were afraid of him. 'Not of me…but of her' he realized dejectedly. He came to the conclusion that they didn't want to be affiliated with him for fear of sharing his suffering, something that only made him feel worse about this whole ordeal. The only one who would actually talk to him was currently sleeping peacefully. Reflexively scratching her head, he smiled warmly at the slight leg jerk she did.

She was the light at the end of his tunnel in these miserable times. Hearing the faint sound of the elevator in the distance, he had a feeling that the relative peace they had been experiencing would soon be at an end, since it was far too soon, from what he could tell, for the appointed time to hand out food and water. Soon, a group of mammals walked up to John's cell, opened it and walked in while he sat there eyeing them all wearily. It was the evil bitch with her two statue like bodyguards and…an old looking goat with a black furred face and white furred body.

John wasn't sure what type of goat he was, but he looked completely harmless, wearing a green sweater vest and sporting khakis pants. He was dressed like some grandpa you would see in a retirement home, and John was puzzled as to why this random goat was here now. "Give her to me" the bitch said with coldness, pointing at the little wolf cub sitting in his lap. John didn't move, for said cub was still sleeping in his lap oblivious to her surroundings. He looked back and forth between the goat and the wolf, trying to understand what she wanted with Nia.

Looking into the goat's eyes, John found his answer. The goat was completely ignoring John and his focus was purely on Nia. However, this was not what concerned him. He was looking at Nia with a gaze that gave him goosebumps. There was desire there, and not just any desire, _carnal_ desire. The goat suddenly spoke with a glint in his eyes while he shook with excitement "She is even more beautiful than in the pictures you sent me. A real albino cub, simply fascinating"

John, without even thinking, unsheathed his claws and held them in front of himself and Nia protectively. A realization more horrible than torture began fueling his protective rage. 'Whatever I do, I can't let him take her' he resolved himself as he mentally prepared to fight to the death. John, with a menacing voice that surprised even himself, growled out "No…" in response to the wolf's original command.

A sudden and powerful electric charge roared its way into his body through his collar, causing him to jerk suddenly, throwing the wolf cub off his lap. She barked in surprise, being suddenly woken up, and John scooped her back and crouched over her on his arms and legs protectively, forcing himself to resist the electricity. "No!" he managed to croak as he held himself over the wolf cub like a shield while she looked around wide eyed with fear. The electricity coming from the collar increased dramatically as the bitch turned a dial on the remote causing John to roar in pain as his neck began to burn while his muscles spammed.

Still, he held his ground, screaming out "FUCK NO!". John felt something stir inside him, something more powerful than his own will to live: His desire to protect what was precious to him. When he was kicked over by one of the bodyguards, Nia was grabbed by the other while she cried out in panic. 'No' a single thought thundered its way through his entire being when he heard the cub cry. John felt something snap inside him, releasing something that began to consume his mind. He did not resist, for he instinctively felt this was the only way, and then he saw nothing, only red.

As Nia was dragged out of the cell followed closely by the goat, Luna heard something horrifying: a growl that seemed to come from the depths of hell. Turning to look at the source, she saw John was currently standing, which by itself was amazing considering the amount of electricity flowing through him. But what amazed/terrified her the most were his eyes. His irises were red, blood red, and he was looking right at her with a look that sent shivers down her spine.

'Oh my god' she whispered to no one, as he starting slowly walking towards her. As if a switch was flipped, he charged at her full speed, snarling incoherently. Luna broke from her stupor and scrambled to escape the cell.

"STOP HIM" she screamed in fear as she rushed to the cell door. The tiger currently outside the cell swiftly pulled out a Taser and shot it at John's front, hitting him on his bare chest, the extra charge combining with the charge from the collar, forcing John to his knees as he held his hands to the ground. Luna recollected herself, feeling angry with herself at acting so out of character.

'That was new…' she thought as she stared into the red eyes of John as he stared at her with endless wrath. He couldn't move, but he longer was screaming in pain as he held his gaze, unnerving Luna as she told her bodyguard "Keep watch over him. Restrain him if you can, just make sure he doesn't move. I will deal with him later" as she handed the tiger the white remote and left the cell, shutting the door, leaving just the tiger and John alone. John, still immobilized, switched his unnatural gaze onto the tiger, the thing that was preventing him from protecting what he considered his.

The tiger was a professional, but even he was slightly disconcerted at the abnormal red eyes currently staring daggers into him, his fur slightly puffing instinctively. Outside the cell, Luna snarled at the goat "Just hurry up and get this over with, I will be waiting in the control booth" before stomping off angrily. The tiger threw the struggling cub into an adjacent cell where she landed with an "OOMPH!". Running to the bars connecting the cells Nia, peered through them to see John still struggling against his own body. With immense difficulty, John craned his head to look at her as she looked at him with fear and confusion crossing her features.

She didn't know what was coming, but John did, and her fear was fueling his rage. Attempting to stand once more, the tiger looked on in amusement before kicking John in the face with his powerful leg, knocking him onto his back. The shock from the Taser had worn off, and John was already ready to resist some more, before the charge increased yet again when the tiger turned the charge up past the red zone into maximum, which was supposedly a lethal level of charge.

John could smell the burnt skin of his neck as the overload of electricity forced his entire body into a spasm-ing mess, letting out bizarre sounds as he continued to fight it. "Aren't you a pretty one~" John heard the goat speak in a sing-song voice, the same goat who had come into the cell and closed the door behind him to prevent Nia's escape. John, despite the enhanced feeling of rage, was clear-headed enough to watch as the goat approached Nia, grab her from behind while prying her away from the bars before tossing her to the back of the cell.

The goat then began working on his clothes. 'God no!' John thought as he tried and failed to control his limbs. He was crying, crying from the reality that he couldn't stop something horrible from happening. Tears of frustration rolled down his face as he tried crawling to the cell bars. He heard Nia cry out in pain and he felt his heart tear in two. "YOU FUCKING BASTARD! DON'T YOU FUCKING DARE!" John roared with volume as he tried rolling over. Then something completely unexpected happened *BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!* *CLANG!* *CRASH!*

The cell adjacent to the cell Nia was in, suddenly exploded, sending chips of concrete flying everywhere. A large rhino in the opposite cell had smashed its way through the metal bars, which gave under the enormous force, breaking them all free from the concrete, which then crashed into the cell. 'What the hell' was John's stunned thought as he watched the rhino pick up the stunned and terrified goat before throwing him against the cell bars John was looking through while hollering with a feminine voice "FUCKING SICK BASTARD!". Seeing his chance, John stuck his arm through the cell bars, grabbing the goat in a choke-hold as he sputtered in fear "NO... WAIT!"

John smiled evilly as he slowly pushed his claws into the back of the goat through the bars, enjoying the cries of pain and eventual sputtering he did while being impaled. Without warning, John was picked up by the arms and flung across the room. The bodyguard had been momentarily distracted when the rhino busted through the opposite cell, and wasn't able to prevent John from killing the goat. The tiger roared in anger and began repeatedly kicking John in the stomach as he twitched on the ground, before a miracle happened. John's collar stopped working as he smelt something like burnt rubber emanate from it. It had short circuited due to excessive electrical load.

Noticing that John was no longer twitching, the tiger promptly realized the collar was no longer functioning, and began to feel a sense of trepidation. The tiger then felt his fur stand on end when John began laughing wickedly. Feeling threatened, the bodyguard continued to pummel John into the ground with kicks, punches, and whatever else he could do to bring him down. Nothing seemed to work as John continued trying to stand after each blow while still laughing hysterically.

After a while, the tiger became tired and backed off hoping the damage he had inflicted was enough to keep him down. Clearly it wasn't, as John completely stood up while maintaining a maddening chuckle to the complete dismay of the tiger. Standing up to his full height, John looked upon the nervous tiger with his blood red eyes, who was already taking a defensive stance, before saying with a toothy smile "My turn" and charging the tiger.

What followed was an incredibly intense fight. Being well trained, the tiger knew how to handle fighting with other mammals, but John wasn't like other mammals. John roared, continuously swinging his claws at the tiger who dodged and got in a couple of well placed blows into both John's ribs and face, knocking him back causing him to double over in pain from the force of the blows. That only lasted a second though, as John recovered instantly and came right back in, claws first, still laughing like a madman. The tiger used his superior agility to spin around John's strikes and used his incredible strength to hit John with blows that would have toppled mammals three times his size, but each time John would bounce right back.

The tiger was beginning to feel uneasy, this was truly unfathomable. In all senses of the word, he was clearly winning against the smaller fur-less mammal, but at the same time he wasn't, for he kept bouncing back with full force while laughing, completely unperturbed with the constant bombardment against his body. And those red eyes, those eyes that held death in them, were absolutely dreadful to look at in the tigers opinion. He wasn't giving up, however, and he continued to fight against John. That is, until he made one mistake.

Attempting to wrestle John to the ground, the tiger jumped at his back and tried to grab him in a choke-hold to both restrain John's arms and force him to pass out. John, seeing his opportunity, spun as fast as he could, connecting his elbow with the tiger's muzzle as he attempted to grab him, making him grunt in pain. Stunned from the blow, John, with a maniacal grin, ducked, pulled his right arm back, and sunk his claws right into the abdomen of the tiger, who roared in pain. Receiving a kick to his front, John was sent stumbling back several feet, but the damage had been done.

The tiger knew he had lost, blood was pouring profusely out of his front where John's claws had done their damage, staining his suit. Seeing no other options, the tiger pulled out his revolver and fired two shots into John hitting him both times in the chest. The sounds echoed loudly throughout the cells and John was literally blown off his feet by the power of the bullets. Turning around, the tiger limped to the door of the cell, attempting to leave and seek medical treatment, before he suddenly grunted in pain. Looking down, he saw six claw tips protruding from his torso before they were pulled out.

Collapsing to his knees, the tiger looked behind him to see John standing as if he was perfectly fine with two large holes in his chest where the bullets hit him. As his vision failed, his last view was of the John, the holes in his chest closing rapidly, while he thought to himself 'That's... just... not fair...'

The tiger slumped to the floor, dead, and John was now feeling giddy. It was now his time to get even, and boy was he ready for that. Glancing quickly into the adjacent cell, he noticed the female rhino fighting with the other tiger, who apparently had gone into the cell to restrain her. The rhino appeared to be faring better than John had been, because of her size, but she was clearly out of her league when it came to fighting, as the tiger was running circles around her. John peered closer, as saw Nia shivering in the corner, feeling a rush of relief that she was safe, albeit terrified.

'Wait, the door...' John suddenly remembered as he picked up the tiger's gun and stored it in his jean pocket for later used. Walking to the cell entrance, he prayed to whatever god that was listening for it to still be unlocked. Grabbing the reinforced handle, he turned it slowly...

*Click*

The door opened, to his delight. Smiling viciously, John thought to himself with great anticipation 'I'm coming for you, fucking bitch!'

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 **A/N: Any typos or blatant grammatical mistakes, let me know. Peace**


	12. Chapter 12

**A/N: First off, this took WAY too long to do. My bad. Second, I ended this chapter where I did because if I hadn't, I would have ended up writing another 3-5 thousand words and it would have taken longer. Lastly, I hope you enjoy. God I love writing shit! It's so fulfilling. Oh yea! Over 100k words, holy hell! What am I doing with my life? Haha.**

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Chapter 12: Counter-moves

John stepped out of the cell, looking left and right as he stumbled into the cold hallway. Clutching his head, John felt dizzy from a sudden tidal wave of new sensations. He didn't notice during the previous adrenaline filled altercation with the now deceased tiger, but everything was so incredibly loud. He covered his ears, which were now much more sensitive. The fight between the other tiger and rhino in the adjacent cell now seemed as loud as an action movie playing on full volume with surround sound, and it rattled his brain. He could even hear the excited breaths of mammals located in the other cells, who were watching everything.

'Ughh, what the hell is happening to me…' John thought as he leaned against the wall. Looking up, he scanned all the way down the hallway to see if anyone was coming, like another guard or something. 'Wait a minute…since when did it get so bright?' John was able to see clearly down the length of the hallway clear as day, despite there being so little light. But there was something else, something that when combined with the overwhelming noise, made his head spin and his stomach churn, everything smelled a hundred times worse.

John had grown used to the terrible smell during his time spent down here, but now it was like his sense of smell had became much more acute, which doesn't sound like a minus, but in his current location the terrible smell of death was magnified, making it almost unbearable. Overall, it was like all his senses were amplified at once, and the overload of sensory information was staggering. John pushed off the wall and, ignoring the pain in his head, walked towards the cell Nia was thrown into.

Peering inside, he saw the rhino on her knees as the tiger repeatedly kicked into her side causing her to groan in pain. The tiger was slowly bringing her down, but the rhino was sturdy and seemed reluctant to yield as she swung her massive arm in an attempt to swat the tiger. The tiger was prepared, however, and swiftly ducked out of the way before clocking her exposed face with his paw and resuming his pummeling. Anger consumed John as he watched the scene unfold, and he decided he wouldn't just sit back and watch the mammal who saved his little friend be beaten to a pulp. He reached for the door…

*Click*

"WHAT!"

*Click*

'Shit!' thought John after his second attempt at opening the door failed. Looking closely, the door had an electronic lock with a strange rectangular hole that John assumed was for some kind of electronic key. The lock had no obvious ways of mechanically unlocking and/or locking which meant one thing to John: 'I have to get a key to open the door…dammit!'. John sprinted off down the hallway towards the control room.

In the control room

Luna was watching the T.V. screens with frustration, wondering to herself how this could have happened. Each T.V. was connected to a specific hidden camera in each of the cells, surveying the prisoners, and right now, Luna was watching the bitter fight between the tiger and exhausted rhino. After hearing the first gunshot, she had immediately locked down the control room for her own safety and was now watching to see what exactly had happened in her underground prison. 'Wait a minute' she mumbled to herself as she moved her sights to another one of the T.V.'s. 'Where is John?'

*Tap* *Tap* *Tap*

Luna turned her head to look at the control room door, and her blood ran cold. Standing outside, visible through the door's glass window, was John, tapping on the window with his claws. He bore nothing but a blank expression, but his eyes spoke volumes to Luna. Red, eyes as red as blood were looking right at her through the glass, and they were filled with determination, a singular target held in them.

It was crystal clear to Luna, exactly what his objective was…revenge. Outside, John, seeing how he had the she-wolf's full attention, smiled ear to ear with all his teeth. Luna's fur bristled at the sight, for the deranged smile combined with his red eyes made him look like a monster from her nightmares, which he was bound to haunt in the future. John pulled out the revolver he took from the tiger and pulled the trigger…

*Bang!*

The glass window he was shooting at did not shatter like he intended. Instead, a spider-web of cracked glass formed outward from the point of impact. 'Bullet-proof glass, shit!' thought John as he repeatedly fired rest of his bullets in the exact same spot hoping to breach the glass. On the fourth and final bullet, the glass was broken through, and John used the gun as a hammer to widen the tiny hole. Once the hole was wide enough, John dropped the gun and reached his arm through the hole, ignoring the cuts he was receiving from the glass, in order to unlock the door from the inside.

Fortunately, although the control room doors were electronically activated, they still had mechanical switches that could be used to open in case of power failure unlike with the cells. Finding the latch, he shoved the bolt out of the way and turned the lock. Opening the door, he rushed in, fully expecting to be shot by the wolf, but he found she wasn't anywhere in sight. Looking across the room after examining the multiple T.V. screens, he noticed the control room door at the other end was swinging open. John was expecting more resistance, seeing as how the she-wolf was trapped down here.

'Why would she…oh shit, the elevator!'. John, in his eagerness for revenge, forgot something so simple. "Damn!" he grunted as he took off through the other control room door

'I should have locked his cell before I left, dammit' Luna mentally berated herself as she fled down the hallway as fast as her paws could carry her. She did not understand how John was able to break free when that "special" collar of his was around his neck, on top of the fact that she had left her bodyguard with him, which was admittedly why she didn't lock his cell. 'Wait a minute, THE COLLAR!'. Luna mentally slapped herself in the face as she reached the elevator door and input the code while swiping her card. Pressing a button on the screen, the door to slowly began to open. 'He was still wearing it, how the hell…?'

"THERE YOU ARE!"

Luna flinched when she heard John's voice roar from down the hallway. John had just slid from around the corner and Luna panicked as John began a full-fledge sprint down the hallway right for her. Jumping into the elevator, she frantically smashed the "UP" button while mentally screaming "CLOSE! CLOSE DAMMIT!'. Looking up, Luna focused on John as he was charging towards her. His arms were swinging in their natural gait with his claws fully revealed, each bone claw reflecting the dim lighting from the light bulbs above as he passed beneath them.

But Luna wasn't looking at his claws, she was focusing on John's new eyes once more. She found she couldn't look away, either out of fear or awe, for his eyes were inexplicably mesmerizing to her. The ruby color and glow was just so uniquely fascinating, something she had never seen before. What brought her back to reality was the expression those eyes were paired with. Absolute fury and hate focused solely on her, causing her instinct for self-preservation to go haywire, as John pushed his body beyond his limits to close the distance.

Reaching into her back pocket, Luna fumblingly pulled out her spare controller she kept on her in case the first one broke. Aiming at John, more specifically the collar around his neck, she pressed the trigger and was disheartened when nothing happened, as John was still running full speed down the hallway, completely unharmed. As the doors closed, Luna sighed in relief when she realized he would not make it. Despite his speed, John was truly only a step too late as the doors finished closing just before he reached them.

Getting one last look at the evil white demon as the doors cut her from his vision, John found she was smirking, as if to taunt him for not making it. John slammed into the doors full speed unable to stop in time. Then the familiar beep sounded, signaling the elevator was going up.

"NO! GOD DAMMIT!" swore John in anger at being unable to reach her in time. He vented his frustration on the doors, punching them with his bare fists as he cursed in rage. Panting heavily from his outburst, he recollected his thoughts and put his priorities back into place as he turned around and ran back towards the control room. 'I will get her later…' he thought hatefully as he began to focus on saving the rhino.

In the elevator

Luna caught her breath as she leaned against the railing. "That was too close…" she whispered quietly, traces of fear still in her system as she contemplated how close she had been to dying. Regaining her composure, she growled as her tail flicked in annoyance with this turn of events. She now had a major problem, and it was bugging her that she now had to deal with mammals loose in her underground dungeon. 'Luckily I prepared myself for situations like this, just in case' she smiled in thought as the elevator continued to ascend. Thinking of how John had killed one of her best clients as well as one of her bodyguards, her muzzle curled into a snarl as she thought 'Oh, John, you will be punished most severely for this'

Back in the dungeon 

Reaching the control room once again, John walked up to the wall of T.V. screens and began searching the desk that sat in front of it. 'Where is it, where is it!' John thought filled with impatience while flipping pieces of paper, moving books, and rummaging through drawers.

"YES!" exclaimed John, finally finding what he was looking for in the second drawer on the right. A metal rectangular key that he assumed was what unlocked the cells. Pocketing the key, he glanced around the control room to see if he could find anything useful, before his eyes settled onto a metal cart in the corner, the one the wolf had brought in during her "sessions" with him. Walking over, he pulled off the large black bag sitting on top and began rummaging through its contents. He involuntarily shuddered as he removed the various tools from the bag, tossing them onto the ground as he searched for one in particular.

Some of the tools, he had gotten real "acquainted" with during his time here, judging by the residual blood still covering them. His hand grasping the object he had been looking for, John pulled out the pistol the she-wolf had often shot him with experimentally before he swiftly moved through the door, avoiding the broken glass as best as he could on account of his bare feet.

On the way back, he heard a familiar startled yelp and a cry of pain from what he assumed was the rhino. He broke into a sprint, sliding to a stop in front of the cell. Hastily pulling out the weird shaped key, he slid it into the port and heard a mechanical *click* sound signifying the door was open. Opening the door, he immediately stepped inside and was greeted by a sight that re-ignited his fury. The rhino was on her stomach, blood leaking out from several cuts on her flank which were visible through her purple shirt, likely inflicted by the tiger's claws.

On top of the rhino was the tiger, his suit and fur looking disheveled as he continuously punched and kicked the rhino on the top of her skull trying to bring her into unconsciousness. In response, the rhino was covering her head with her meaty arms and whimpering from each blow. John inwardly sighed in relief, though, when he saw that Nia was curled up into a ball, crying silently in the corner. 'She is safe' was the only important thought in John's mind at the moment. John turned his attention towards the tiger, who's back was facing him. Both combatants were completely oblivious to John entering the cell, and John took this chance to carefully line up a proper shot. "HEY!" screamed John suddenly. The tiger stopped mid-punch and snapped his head towards John, only to find himself staring down the end of a pistol.

*Bang!*

The bullet went straight through his head, causing brain matter to blow out the other end. 'Another one bites the dust' John mused as he pocketed the pistol and knelt down beside the beaten rhino. "Are you alright?" John spoke without thinking before realizing how stupid of a question that was. The rhino, noticing how she was no longer being pummeled by the tiger, lifted her arms off her head and looked up at John who was smiling at her. John began with a non-threatening smile "The tiger is dead, and thanks for…"

"EEEEK!"

*SMACK*

Being suddenly punched in the face by the shrieking rhino, John stumbled back a few steps and fell flat on his back as he held his nose, which he found to be broken at a crooked angle from the strength of the blow. 'WHAT THE HELL! WHY?' cursed John as he stood back up, painfully snapping his nose back into place with an audible *crunch*.

"STAY BACK!" the rhino screeched as she stood up with noticeable difficulty. John moved forward to try and help her stand but she swung her arm at him again fearfully, forcing John to back up once more.

"Hey! I just saved you! What are you doing?" John spoke up flabbergasted. Her fearful reaction was way beyond what he was expecting.

"JUST STAY AWAY" she barked while backing up, looking right at him with what seemed like a bit too much unease. John's mind was full of confusion, but he didn't have time to ponder why she was acting this way. He moved towards Nia in the corner.

"NO! STAY BACK!" the rhino screeched one more as she moved surprisingly quickly in front of him, blocking the route to his little friend. John became pissed.

"WHAT IS YOUR PROBLEM!?" he roared as the rhino barred his path. Not taking her eyes off John, the rhino scooped up the little cub who squeaked in initial fear but quickly calmed down when she realized she was being held by the mammal who had saved her. Taken aback at the look the rhino was giving the cub as she rubbed her head, one of compassion and caring, John was perplexed at why she was afraid of him.

"Nia, are you ok?" John spoke past the rhino.

Nia looked up over the rhino's large arm to find the source of the voice, and squealed "John!" in happiness when she finally noticed him. She began squirming in the embrace of the rhino, who held her fast to her chest protectively, as if John was a threat.

"NO WAIT!" the rhino spoke fearfully as the cub jumped out of her grasp and ran towards John who smiled and scooped her up while examining her for any obvious injuries. John, seeing how Nia was more or less ok, looked back at the rhino who looked ready to tackle him at the drop of a hat.

Again, John was puzzled by her hostility towards him, and asked her straight up "Why are you so afraid of me?"

"I-Uh…but…I don't…" The rhino stuttered now a bit unsure of herself seeing as how the little wolf cub was sitting happily in the freaky mammal's arms. She looked over her shoulder and felt a jolt go through her when she saw the tiger who had assaulted her lying in a pool of blood. 'He really did save me…' she thought as she looked back at the mammal with ruby red eyes that gave her chills. "Thanks for your help" she finally spoke with apprehension, still unsure about who or what the mammal in front of her was.

John nodded, "Thanks for saving my little friend here…" he said as he nudged Nia who was sitting snugly in the crook of his arm.

The rhino snorted, "OF COURSE I WOULD SAVE HER! Did you see that filthy pedophile? Even if it killed me, I wouldn't allow shit like that to happen to such a sweet little mammal.

Nodding once more, John replied with "I get that, but seriously…thank you. You busting through that wall like a tank gave me the distraction I needed…"

"Are ya calling me fat?" the rhino interrupted with her arms folded in what appeared to be genuine annoyance. John just stood there with a blank face.

'Is she serious? Like…are you kidding? You know what, never mind' John shook his head. "Anyway…" John began while avoiding her pointless question "Thanks to you I was able to escape. Let's go!"

"John?" Looking down at Nia who had just spoken up, he noticed her looking at his face with innocent curiosity, which John found strangely troubling.

"What is it? Is there something on my face?"

"Your eyes are red, why?" she asked with childlike interest.

"What? What do you mean? John asked while rubbing his eyes. "What's wrong with my eyes?"

He turned to look at the rhino who only nodded sheepishly before saying "Yea dude, your eyes are red like blood, it's kinda freaky actually. Hold on a minute! What are you anyway?

'My eyes are red, what the hell does that mean?' John thought before shaking his head. 'Doesn't matter right now, we don't have time…'

"I'll answer your questions later, right now we have to get out of here!" Still carrying Nia, John left the cell and started jogging to the control booth before a thought struck him. He looked into the nearby cells as various mammals of many different species were peering at them curiously through the bars.

"What's the matter red eyes?" the rhino asked as she followed closely behind him.

Ignoring the nickname, he replied with "Hold on a minute" as he walked up to the closest cell. Glancing through the porthole, he noticed a ragged looking gazelle sitting in the corner with his arms over his legs. John opened the cell with his key and walked in, startling the gazelle who shrunk away from him in fear after seeing his eyes.

"No! Please don't hurt me!"

"Do you want to escape?" John got straight to the point. The gazelle's ears perked up at that.

"…What?" he responded while looking up.

"Do you want to escape? Don't you want to leave this hell?" repeated John. At this, the gazelle finally looked up at the new arrival. The gazelle didn't know what John was and was completely afraid of his intimidating red glare, but he was asking if he wanted to escape, something the gazelle had only dreamed of. Slowly, the gazelle stood up, and, ignoring his instincts telling him to run away from the dangerous looking mammal, walked right up to him.

"Can we actually get out of here?" the gazelle asked nervously.

"Honestly, I don't know, but I sure as hell am going to try". After he finished speaking, John exited the cell while the gazelle followed after a few moments of hesitation. John reached out and placed the key into the grasp of the gazelle and told him "Go down and free everyone. We are going to get the hell out of here". The gazelle tightened his hold on the key as tears came to eyes.

'Finally I'm getting out of here' were his thoughts as he began running down the cell block, opening cells and freeing mammals. In no time at all, a large group of around 17-18 mammals gathered around all looking at each other with fear and unease. Mostly, they were looking at John with the same apprehension the rhino had shown earlier. John glanced around at the little crowd that had formed. Everyone here looked to be in various states of "terrible". There was just no other way of putting it, as weeks of malnourishment and improper living conditions made them all look and smell horrendous.

It was another moment of pause for John, as he saw various mammals of different species ranging from a couple bunnies all the way to a polar bear and many mammals in between. They all held looks full of misery and fear, and that only seemed to make John angrier at how badly these…people/mammals were being treated. 'We HAVE to get out of here' thought John with conviction. It was now his new mission, with a side quest of revenge if possible.

"Everyone…" they all looked towards John as he spoke up "Let's get out of here!" John started jogging towards the control booth as he was followed by a herd of different mammals all following his lead. Passing through the booth, he went around a couple more turns before leading the group to the elevator.

"Shoot! Hey, um…what's your name?" John asked the rhino who had followed him closely.

"The name's Tina, what's yours, red eyes?"

John didn't even feel like commenting on how such a large rhino had been given such a dainty name, so he replied "Stop calling me red eyes, my name is John" John held out his hand to the stunned rhino. "Thank you, seriously…thanks" Feeling awkward, Tina took his hand with her much larger one and shook it shyly.

"Stop thanking me, geez, all I did was bust through a wall" She said while kicking the ground

John laughed loudly at that before replying "Not going to lie, that was pretty badass" Tina smirked as her chest swelled with pride.

"You're damn right it was!" She boasted

"Ahem!" John turned to see the other mammals giving them strange looks.

'Woops' thought John as he realized he had gotten distracted.

"Tina, I need you to do me a favor" John spoke, getting his thoughts back on track

"What is it?" she replied.

"I need you to go back and grab the key card from one of those tigers, we need it to get the elevator open"

"You got it red eyes" she responded as she sauntered off back down the hall.

'Now we just got to figure out the code' thought John as he stared at the luminescent panel with numbers on the touchscreen. Staring dumbly at the bright screen for a couple of seconds, John realized something important: 'How the hell am I going to figure out the code!? Shit!' He put down Nia who clung tightly to his leg before he began pressing numbers.

*Beep* *Beep* *Beep* *Beep*

A sound of denial rang out, signifying the code he had entered was wrong, obviously. John repeatedly pressed random numbers and was met with multiple "error" sounds of failure. "DAMMIT" John punched the screen, luckily not breaking it. 'We are all going to die down here, all because of some fucking code! It's just not fair, what have I done to deserve this!' While John was wallowing in self-pity, one of the rabbits stepped forward.

"Um, excuse me"

John looked behind him at the mammals gathered who were watching his every move. None of them appeared to have spoken up before he heard it again.

"Um, down here…"

John looked down to see a dark grey bunny standing nervously in front of him.

"What?" John asked curtly, still feeling spiteful at the circumstances.

"Mind if I try?" she asked with apprehension, clearly worried that she was going to offend the scary mammal in front of her.

"Knock yourself out" John replied in defeat as he stepped aside and sat against the wall, picking up Nia and placing her on top of his head where she clung onto his hair, a familiar position for them both.

"Thank you" she replied as she stepped up to the panel, which stood a couple of feet above her. Not needing to be asked, judging by the red tint of embarrassment he could see in the bunny's ears, she couldn't reach it. Sighing loudly, John stood up and promptly lifted the rabbit up to the panel as she squeaked in surprise from the contact.

"Hurry up" John demanded. He didn't know what she could possibly do differently than him, but he was grasping for any hope at this point. The sounds of beeps and errors resounded multiple times, making John frown in irritation. 'What makes this bunny think she can…'

*Didi-ring*

"Huh?" John looked at screen. _Password Accepted_ was proudly displayed in green. 'WHAT!' "How did you do it!?" John asked in pleasant surprise, his previous irritation instantly evaporating.

"Oh it was nothing really…" the bunny began bashfully, "Every time that wolf left, she would enter the same code. Each number has a different sound when pressed, and I, well, I sort of memorized them while being stuck down here"

John gave an appraising look at the bunny. To be able to hear individual sounds from so far away… "Those ears aren't just for show! Nice going!" smiled John at the bunny as he put her on the ground. "Now all we need is the keycard…"

After another minute of tense waiting, John became impatient, as every second represented more time for the she-wolf to act. 'We need to act faster' John thought darkly. If they were able to get topside, they would have to rush her miniature army and break out. The faster they got up there, the less time she would have to prepare. Eventually, the thundering sounds of Tina's steps became apparent and she returned out of breath carefully moving past the gathered mammals and handing John a white key card. Swiping it on the scanner, a green _Accepted_ displayed brightly which immediately filled him with joy.

The surrounding mammals also were getting excited, for this was their one chance to get out of here. Since both the code and the card were accepted, options appeared on the screen, and John immediately pressed the one that said "Call elevator" before stepping back in anticipation. After a few seconds of nothing happening, John pressed the button again, but still nothing happened. There was no sound of an elevator descending or anything.

'Oh no…'

John repeatedly pressed the call elevator option over and over praying to god that it wasn't too late. Suddenly, the screen went black. "NOOOOOO GOD DAMMIT" John roared as he punched the screen so hard it cracked. 'She cut the elevator power, that bitch!' John sank to his knees as the realization hit him like a truck going full speed. They were still trapped down here.

Up in Luna's Mansion

In another control room located in the secret hallway between her office and the elevator leading to her dungeon, Luna stood smirking as she stared at the T.V. screens. She had just witnessed John punching the screen before sliding to his knees in despair. 'If you thought it was going to be that easy John, you were sorely mistaken. You will pay for this mess! You and that insufferable rhino. How dare she wreck my special dungeon' Luna growled as her anger got the better of her. Luna had just taken manual control of the elevator, and she temporarily cut the power to it to prevent John from using it.

*Knock* Knock*

One of her bodyguards opened the door and stuck his head in. "Ma'am, team one is almost ready…what are your orders?"

"When they are fully prepared, have them wait at the elevator"

"Yes ma'am" replied the deep voiced tiger as he left and shut the door.

'Those fools think they can escape, laughable' Luna grinned with menace. She had specifically designed her special prison with several contingency plans in case something like this happened, including how the only way out was through a single elevator which she had just cut the power too. The other contingency plan, well, she was soon about to enact. Luna chuckled with confidence that only someone sure of success could have. 'I'm definitely going to have to teach them all a lesson in blood' she smiled

Down in the Dungeon

John kneeled in despair. There was truly no way out, the only plan he could come up with was easily countered. 'Of course she would be prepared for something like this, why did I get my hopes up?' John felt something heavy plop on his shoulder. Looking up behind himself as he sat on his knees, John stared into the eyes of Tina who was looking at him sadly.

"Well…" she began wistfully, "At least we took some down with us huh?" She had the same dead-mammal walking air about her just like the rest of the mammals gathered. They all knew their last hope had been so easily crushed, and all they could do was wait for the inevitable. John looked around as the various mammals started slumping against the walls, some crying while others just sat there with blank expressions, wearing thousand-yard stares. The kind of looks that could only be worn by people/mammals who had seen some bad shit. John didn't know any of these mammals, but he couldn't help but start thinking about what they had left behind when they were kidnapped.

Whether or not they had families back home, and he assumed most of them did. He thought of his own family as he reached up and started petting Nia's ears while she sat on his head, and she leaned into his familiar touch. He pulled her off his head and placed her in his lap as he lay against the wall. She looked up at him and he smiled down at her.

'Well, at least I made a little friend in the end' he thought resigned to his fate. He noticed she was frowning, which in turn caused John to frown at her expression.

"Why are you crying?" she asked with worry. John immediately reached a hand to his face and found that he was indeed crying. Wiping away the tears, John coughed, embarrassed by his unknowing show of weakness. He hated feeling weak in front of others, especially those he cared about.

"It's nothing, don't worry about it" he responded reassuringly. She didn't look convinced and gave her frown turned into a pout. John looked up, trying to avoid eye contact with Nia, and he saw something in the top corner of the hallway…a black rectangular camera semi-hidden in the dark. John felt his rage flare up once again, his eyes seeming to glow more red as he thought about the she-wolf must be watching their despair with delight. Picking up a confused Nia by the scruff, he placed her into the arms of the Tina who held her absentmindedly, still lost in her own melancholic thoughts. John pulled the gun out of his back pocket, took aim, and fired.

*BANG!*

The loud echoing gunshot startled the surrounding mammals who looked up in surprise at John. Hitting his target, the camera was destroyed, wires sparking as the feed it transmitted was cut short. Looking up at the ceiling, John spotted two more cameras in the hallway they were in, and shot one of them before walking up to the last one. Holding up his middle finger to the camera, hoping she would see the gesture, he finally shot the last camera, ending the possibility of surveillance.

He moved to sit back down but stopped when something flashed in his mind. 'Wait a minute' He looked back up at the high ceiling. There were several exposed pipes along it, but something in particular caught his eye. 'There is a ventilation duct!'. An insane hope filled his chest as he barked "TINA GET OVER HERE!"

Hearing the excitement in his voice, she stood up quickly, placing Nia on the ground, and rushed over, the other mammals watching with varying levels of interest as they sat there gloomily. "Look" John pointed up. Tina followed his hand, but still didn't get what in particular he was pointing at.

"What'm I supposed to be seein red eyes?"

"There is a ventilation duct" he replied

Tina snorted "You wouldn't know it with the smell down here dude"

John felt like slapping her when she didn't pick up on what he was implying. Controlling himself, he explained calmly "Tina, where do you think it goes?"

"I bet it goes…OH MY GOD" Tina exclaimed as she suddenly realized the point he was trying to get across, and crushed John in a big hug. "YOU'RE A GENIUS!" Tina squealed as John felt his back crack over four times.

'Luckily I heal fast' he deadpanned mentally as he used all his strength to push away from the excited rhino. "Lift me up, I need to see how big it is" he commanded. Tina complied, and John crawled onto her back as she stood up. Barely avoiding banging his head against a couple of pipes, John removed a one-foot square duct opening before peering inside the ventilation shaft. The flame of hope fizzled down as he realized he was WAY too big to fit. The duct was square with sides of only about one foot each making it too narrow for him. The flame reignited as another solution came to mind.

"Tina get me down" Tina lowered her body as John jumped off her back. "Everyone!" John spoke up to the group of mammals still watching him with curiosity. "I think I have a plan to get out of here, but I will need some of your guy's help"

That got their interest really quick, as several spoke amongst themselves before a leopard spoke up "What's your plan?"

"There is a ventilation duct up on the ceiling. I believe it leads to the surface to draw in natural air to prevent suffocation, similar to a mine shaft, and we are underground besides, so it makes sense" Several mammals began to understand where he was going with this, nodding their heads in anticipation. "We need someone small to crawl through and get to the surface, where they will go get help" The mammal's hopes dimmed slightly, as it was less of a game plan and more of a hail Mary.

John, as well as several other mammals, looked to the two bunnies sitting further back, who immediately realized that when John said "small mammals" he was talking about them as they were the smallest mammals there.

One of the two bunnies, the one who had figured out the code earlier spoke up defensively "Wait, how is this a good plan, what if it doesn't lead to the surface? What if we get cut up by fans? This plan sucks!" John walked up to the bunny who backed up in reflexively, slightly fearful of his red eyes.

"Please, no one else can fit in there, you two are literally our only hope now" John spoke with as much sincerity and humility as he could, hoping the female bunny in front of him could understand how desperate he was.

"But…" the bunny rebuffed with hesitation.

"Betty, just stop" The other bunny sighed out loud before standing up. "He is right, and we don't really have a choice either. Do you want to stay here?" The female bunny, Betty, looked to what appeared to be her twin brother since they both had the same coloration, and slumped her head when he glared at her.

"No, of course I don't want to stay here, but…"

"But nothing, we are going to do this" her brother interrupted. The male bunny walked right up to John with as much courage as he could muster and spoke "Lift us up there"

John nodded and picked up both bunnies and placed them on his shoulders before he climbed onto Tina's back once more. Holding them up to the open vent cover, they jumped into the vent, and had to bend low due to the low head space.

John gave them both a thoughtful look before exclaiming "OH! Wait! You two stay there for a moment!" The two bunnies looked at each other in confusion and John hastily jumped off Tina's back and ran down to the control room. He found the rope he had seen earlier as well as a small flashlight before running back as fast as he could. Tossing them up the two items, he spoke "Hopefully this will help you. Good luck!"

The bunnies both nodded and proceeded to crawl down the length of the ventilation shaft, the soft pads of paws against aluminum getting fainter and fainter. 'We can only pray they are able to escape and get help now'. Having even the smallest bit of hope was infinitely better than no hope at all, and John and the other mammals were feeling more determined than before, the previous gloom all but evaporating. "Ok, now we just got to hold on for a while before help comes" John spoke to everyone present, who nodded in reply. Things were looking better. That is, until after thirty minutes of waiting, things began taking a turn.

Up in the Spare Control Room

Luna was quite vexed. John had shot out all her cameras in the hallway where the mammals were located, so now she had no visuals, and therefore could not see what was happening. The tiger from before knocked and stuck his head in to report "Ma'am, we have the equipment you requested and team one is on standby at the elevator"

"Excellent, tell them to equip the masks and to head down in five minutes. I have already brought the elevator back up" she responded

"Yes ma'am" he replied before ducking back out. Luna typed in several commands onto her computer before breaking out into a wide grin. The screen had two commands, _INITIATE_ and _CANCEL,_ and Luna hit "initiate". An alarm sound began ranging out followed by red spinning lights which illuminated the control room. 'Time to round up those rowdy mammals' she giggled to herself as she left the room and headed for the elevator.

Down in the Depths

Red lights started flashing from previously unknown light bulb hanging from the ceiling startling all the mammals currently gathered.

"What is that?"

"What's going on?

"What do those lights mean?"

Several confused and scared voiced sounded at once, and John had no answers either. He swept up Nia and held her protectively, feeling that she was only truly safe with himself. 'What did that wolf do?' he wondered with trepidation. 'Whatever this is, it can't be good' was the obvious conclusion.

*PSHHHH*

The sound of a gas being released from one of the pipes on the ceiling suddenly started up, causing John to look up. Slowly descending was a white mist of unknown substance. It was literally impossible to avoid, so everyone watched in fear as it suddenly enveloped them. At first, nothing happened, but then one after another, mammals began collapsing, causing others to panic before they too began collapsing.

'SLEEPING GAS! THAT'S SO FUCKING DIABOLICAL' John cursed his luck. The wolf was clearly prepared for the worst case scenario, and he had no way to expect something like this.

"TINA, I need your help!" John yelled loudly

Tina was still fine, since her size made it take longer for her to be affected, but he knew it was only a matter of time.

"Yea…*cough*…what is it?" she spoke with difficulty

'Shit, it's already affecting her' noticed John. He spoke quickly "Help me move these guys to the end of the hallway"

John gently placed Nia down, as she had already fallen asleep. Naturally, he himself remained unaffected by the gas, as his body destroyed foreign substances almost instantly, and he began lifting mammals and moving them down the hallway to get them away from the elevator. Tina was helping as best as she could, but John could see she was beginning to struggle.

"Tina, get to the end of the hallway, I will deal with the rest" he demanded

She looked at him wondering how he was unaffected, but listened to what he said and moved herself to the end of the hallway before she was unable to support her own weight and collapsed. After moving all the mammals, only Nia was left. She was curled into a fluffy ball while sucking her thumb. 'God, even in the worst of times, she is still too damn cute' mused John as he cradled her in his arms while heading back to the control room.

Finding a towel, or what could have been a small purple blanket, he carefully wrapped her up before placing her behind the desk. Even if the worst happened, he wanted to make sure at least she was safe. He headed back down the hallway just in time to hear the mechanical whirring of the descending elevator. John's red glowing eyes narrowed as he extended his claws and awaited the inevitable fight that he knew was coming, thinking to himself 'If they think it's going to be that easy, they are sorely mistaken'

In the Air Duct

"Tom, look!" Betty voiced loudly. Tom crawled up behind her crouched low and glanced over her shoulder to see what she was pointing at. Shining the flashlight, Tom noticed how they had come to a dead end, but his sister wasn't pointing at the wall, she was pointing straight up. Squeezing past his sister, Tom flashed his light straight up and saw how the shaft bent at a 90-degree angle heading into the unknown above them. At the very far end, he could just barely see a dot of light. It was quite literally the light at the end of the tunnel.

"He was right!" exclaimed Tom as he wrapped the rope around himself securely. "Get ready Betty, we gotta long climb ahead of us!" Since the shaft was straight up, Tom crawled underneath and was able to stand. Placing his back against one side and his paws against the other, he started climbing by sliding his back against the aluminum as he pushed himself up with his legs. He was followed by his sister who imitated his movements, and they both began ascending slowly. When they were about half-way up, they both were already incredibly tired from the exertion, but the slight breeze filled with fresh air that was blowing through their fur invigorated their spirits.

It had been too long since they had breathed in fresh air, and it was heavenly to feel once again. "Tom… *huh* *huh* look!" Betty spoke with great difficulty while taking heavy breaths. About ten meters above them, there was another branch off in the shaft which she spotted after shining her flashlight up past her brother.

"Yea…*huh*…I see it! Almost there…"

They both had the same exact idea, they would be able to rest inside the other branch off. Having been increasingly worried that they would have to traverse the whole length with no rest, the notion of a break was very welcome, especially after coming to the conclusion that going the whole way in one trip would be nearly impossible, especially after an earlier scare.

Betty had slipped and almost tumbled which would have signified her doom, falling from such a height. They needed to rest, and they were almost at their goal. Tom reached it first and plopped down in exhaustion inside the branch vent. Carefully removing the rope, he set it to his side and peered down the lengthy duct which extended into the darkness. Turning his attention back, he looked down at his sister. She was really struggling at this point, and she was only behind him by as little as five feet, but to her it might as well have been a mile considering how tired her muscles were.

Suddenly, one of her paws slipped and she slid down a couple feet as she screamed. As she slid, she had managed to catch herself by flipping around, but now she was stuck in an awkward position, one that couldn't be corrected without falling. "BETTY! HANG ON!" yelled Tom, almost having a heart attack when he saw his sister almost plummet to her death. He hastily grabbed the rope and threw it down to her which she reflexively grabbed, something she probably shouldn't have done.

When Betty grabbed the rope, she lost her grip, and started sliding down the shaft, before the rope abruptly stopped her descent. Her sudden fall caught Tom by surprise, and since he was holding the rope, it yanked him forward almost over the edge as it went taut. He held onto the rope with all his strength, his arms hanging over the edge, holding onto the his sister's lifeline. Betty looked up at her struggling brother before looking down into the black abyss, causing her to grip the rope even tighter than before.

"Betty! *NGHHH* You have to climb! I-I can't pull you up" Tom yelled, the strain obvious in his voice as he held the rope for dear life. Betty's muscles were on fire, and she didn't even have the energy to reply. Looking down once more, the fear of death overtook her, and she suddenly found new strength lying dormant within her.

"KYAAAAA!" she shrieked as she pushed her muscles past their limits, echoing throughout the shaft. Using energy she didn't even know she had, she pulled herslef up and managed to make it to the edge, before pulling herself up and collapsing onto her back, panting heavily, completely drained. "Oh my god… I… never… want to do that again… EVER!" she managed to croak out between breaths, before a sense of euphoria washed over her. Tom just watched his sister, too relieved at the outcome.

He peered out into the shaft and looked up, the light from the exit so much closer, yet still so far. 'That's gonna be tough' he grimaced as he judged how much further he had to go. He spoke up "Betty"

"NGHH?" Betty replied, too tired to even make coherent words.

"Slide me the flashlight". She complied with difficulty, pulling the small flashlight out of her pocket and sliding it to her brother. Clicking it on, he aimed it down the branch shaft they were currently sitting in. Fifty feet down, the light reflected off another aluminum panel which meant that there was a turn. As he and his sister sat in a comfortable silence, fresh air washing over them, he pondered 'I wonder where that goes?'

In the elevator

Speaking over the built in radio on his gas mask, one of the four tigers reported "Ma'am we are currently descending. We will be down in approximately one minute"

The she-wolf on the surface responded through with her sickly sweet voice "Good. Remember to only secure the mammals. Try not to injure them. Can't have _defective products_ "

"Affirmative" was his gruff reply

"Oh!, and be careful…" She voiced with unexpected caution, causing the tigers to raise their eyebrows? They were equipped with body armor, bullet-proof gas masks, and all manner of mammal incapacitating weaponry.

"Ma'am?" the tiger leading the team asked in question.

"Oh, I'm sure you boys are fine, I simply have a feeling that one of those mammals won't be… _asleep_ , so to speak. Just be vigilant~" The tigers all looked at each other with confusion.

'What is she talking about?' they all thought in unison.

*Ding*

The elevator had arrived at its destination. As the doors opened, white gas flowed in which didn't bother the tigers thanks to the gas masks. What did bother them though, was the fact they were greeted with an eerie sight they were not expecting. A fur-less mammal of unknown species was standing in the hallway directly in front of them, glaring at each of them with red eyes that could instill chills into even in the sturdiest of mammals.

"Hello there…" the mammal began as he held up a…A PISTOL.

'SHIT' the lead tiger had time to think one coherent thought before chaos ensued. Luna had forgotten to mention he was armed, unluckily for the team of tigers. The creature unloaded the rest of the rounds into the elevator, hitting the two lead tigers dead on. Luckily, none of the hits were fatal, thanks to the body armor. Smashing the close door button, the lead tiger opted for a tactical retreat as he did not know whether or not the mammal had any more guns.

They could always just come back down better equipped and finish the job. Not like the weird mammal had anywhere to go. Just as the tigers in the elevator have recovered from their initial shock, the creature stuck his freakishly long claws in between the elevator doors, preventing them from closing. Slowly, they opened back up and the four tigers were face to face with the smaller creature who was grinning like a mad-mammal. "Nowhere to run now" the creature with red eyes laughed as he stepped inside.

* * *

 **A/N: Any typos or blatant grammatical mistakes, let me know! I won't bite, seriously.**


	13. Chapter 13

**A/N: Well this took a while. Still alive though. Eventually I will get to where things are less chaotic, but that's later. I try to make fight scenes as realistic as possible, and by that I mean that if I cannot physically imagine it, then I don't write it that way. Blah Blah Blah, there is probably more that I should say, but I will leave it at that. I am already pumped to start writing the next chapter. Just wished I had more free time.**

* * *

Chapter 13: Revenge

"GUAAAA!"

"HE GOT GEORGE! SHIT! GRAB HIS ARMS!"

"I GOT HIM-OMMPH!"

"HOW IS HE SO STRONG!?"

*THUD*

*CRASH*

"ALAN! I GOT HIS ARMS GO FOR HIS LEGS!"

"GOT IT!"

Luna listened in to the radio transmission, her initial fears being immediately realized. John had been unaffected by the gas.

'Sounds like they have captured him though' she smiled as she kept listening. In the background, several curses, loud grunts of exertion, and the sounds of struggle kept pouring through from the radio as Luna's fur unconsciously bristled from the tension in the air. She was standing in front of the elevator with team two already on standby ready to go down once team one took care of the "problem".

Down below inside the elevator

The elevator was a mess. Blood draining from the neck of one of the tigers pooled around the floor, soaking into the clothes of the other three mammals currently wrestling on the ground. Another one of the tigers was slumped against the side of the elevator attempting to stifle the thick stream of blood steadily pouring out of his legs where John had stabbed him deep.

"AHHHHHHHHHHHH" John's roar of anger resounded as he used all the power he could muster to break free. The lead tiger managed to get behind him and had his arms looped around John's preventing him from using his deadly claws. Another tiger was pinning his legs together preventing John from using them to move himself. Currently, the three mammals were rolling on the floor, two fighting to keep one subdued.

The tiger pinning his arms was feeling increasingly astounded as he growled in exertion, trying his best to hold back the ridiculously resilient mammal as his haggard breaths fogged up the mask he was wearing. Never had he fought someone like this, it was like the red-eyed mammal was a machine, a machine with an endless amount of power.

"BRET! I GOT HIS LEGS!" Alan roared through his mask

"GOOD *Growl* USE YOUR TASER!" Bret grunted while panting heavily.

Bret was considerably strong, even for a tiger, but he found that he was beginning to lose the battle of strength with the much smaller mammal.

'THIS IS INSANE!' he thought as he re-adjusted his arms to a better position to keep John locked. From Bret's experience, mammals would tire as they wrestled, and whoever held the physical advantage would win, but not with this mammal apparently.

'Why isn't this freak getting tired?' He lamented as he was slowly losing his grip. Every time the red-eyed mammal would flex in his attempts to break free, it was with even more force than before, almost as if he was growing stronger mid-fight, something that should be impossible. 'If this continues, I won't be able to hold him…"

John was using his anger as fuel, continuously squeezing his arms as hard as he could to break free from the tiger's grip. As he continuously resisted, he felt the tiger's hold slacken just a little bit more each time, filling him with motivation. Despite how he looked or the current circumstances, John felt like a changed man.

'This is weird…' he found himself thinking in the midst of the chaos. A feeling of limitless energy kept flowing through him like a drug, causing a sensation similar to euphoria as he struggled. In a bizarre sense, John was having fun, which was reflected by the crazy grin on his face revealing clenched teeth, as if he wasn't being pinned on the floor in a pool of blood. The life or death situation was actually giving him a thrill he had never experienced before, very similar to when he was fighting the wolves in the wild, and he was basking in the feeling of power and dominance. John pushed himself to the limit once more…

"*GRRRR* DAMMIT! ALAN! I CAN'T HOLD HIM…HURRY!"

Alan, trying to be as quick as possible, switched his hold so where he was holding both of John's legs with one arm as he reached for the Taser on his belt. Pulling it free, he clicked it on before slamming it into John's side.

"GUAAAAAAAAAAA" roared John as electricity coursed through him.

Bret thought that was it, but he was completely flabbergasted when he found John's resistance actually became stronger. 'WHAT THE FUCK?' Bret thought as he pushed himself as hard as he could to hold the red-eyed mammal down, but it was no use.

The electricity was like a trigger for John, the familiar pain caused by it pushing him over the edge. Breaking free of the tiger's grip with a loud roar of exertion, John elbowed the tiger in the size of his head not protected by the mask. The tiger was stunned for only a second, but it was enough. The tiger tried to grab him once again, but it was already too late. John, his arms now free, sank both his claws deep into the unprotected shoulders of the shocked tiger holding his legs and quickly pulled them out, satisfied as blood began squirting out of the wounds. The hold on his legs was released.

'Two down' mused John as he briefly examined the damage he had done, before a large force kicked him in his back, sending him crashing into the back of the elevator where he smashed into the wall headfirst. Quickly righting himself while rubbing his nose, John angrily thought 'That hurt dammit!' before realizing the tiger that had kicked him was standing in the hallway. John got up and ran right at him, swinging his claws wildly trying to slice his enemy.

The tiger easily avoided John's swipes, which had no technique, and were clumsy because of his rage. John clearly lacked experience using his claws in such a brash manner, which the tiger immediately knew to take advantage of. Seeing an opening after dodging a swing, the tiger stepped in and landed a heavy punch right into John's face which spun him around as he tried to regain his footing. Unfazed by the blow, John spun back around and continued his assault, managing to slice the tiger across the chest, which ripped the uniform but otherwise did no damage due to his body armor.

The tiger grimaced as he once again had to continue avoiding the red-eyed mammal's slashes before seeing another opening. Jumping backwards to avoid the most recent swing, the tiger stepped to his outside, and John realized too late he overextended. Another fierce blow connected into his temple, followed by a sharp knee to the gut, before the tiger racked his claws across John's chest, finishing his combo with a spin to generate enough force to land a solid hard kick into John's chest, which blew him off his feet right onto his back.

Flipping himself back up, John looked down at his plain-white-t which now had four large slashes in the front. 'This guy is really tough…' John thought as he ripped the bloodstained shirt off of himself, finding it to be a hindrance. Spitting out blood that he tasted in his mouth, John thought 'Doesn't matter, I'm still gonna kill him' as he focused his narrowed red-eyes on his foe.

Bret, despite his outward appearance radiating a calm and collected fighter, was inwardly panicking. As he watched the deep gashes in his opponent chest caused by his very own claws heal almost instantly, the feeling of powerlessness began to manifest. The unnatural red glare he was receiving from the bizarre creature was also sapping his motivation to fight.

'How can you beat something like that?' he asked himself as he pulled off an extendable baton off his utility belt, flicking it to extension.

John closed in once again, being far more careful than before with each swing. The tiger used the baton like a sword, deflecting John's claws blow after blow, while occasionally getting a solid hit in on John's frame, fracturing bones in the process. Naturally, John didn't worry about defending his tough body, which healed every injury, and finally, the tiger exhibited an opening in his guard, which was exactly what John was hoping for.

Swinging his left arm in another attempt, the tiger expertly blocked John's attack, the thin baton caught in the space between his claws. Without warning, John quickly retracted the claws back into his left hand, to the surprise of the tiger, who was not expecting that sort of unorthodox tactic.

His left hand free and unhindered, John grappled the tiger's arm, looping his arm around the tiger's, so that the tiger could not run. The tiger brought his free hand down and ripped his claws across John's face, who yelled in pain while blood poured from the wounds into his eyes, causing a powerful stinging sensation. Despite the irritation, John continued with his takedown.

Sticking his left leg behind the tiger's legs, John spun his torso while simultaneously pulling down on the tiger's arm, forcing the tiger to trip while John flipped him onto his back. Jumping onto the supine tiger, John straddled his upper body, the tiger now in a very dangerous position. With a maniacal grin, John raised both his arms and brought them down with great force, his claws aiming for the exposed neck of the tiger.

"NOO!" The tiger growled in unwillingness as he grabbed the wrists of the fur-less mammal, forcing the claws to come to a halt mere centimeters from his neck. The struggle was on, both mammal's arms shaking as they pushed against each other.

'Just a little bit further!' John mentally screamed as he used all his strength and weight to push his arms down onto the tiger, who in turn was using all of his strength to hold back the blades about to sever into his neck. John's face was contorted from the effort and the muzzle of the tiger was curled back revealing his teeth as he growled, which John couldn't see since the tiger still had on his gas-mask. Seconds felt like eternity, and as the sweat rolled off John's back, he started laughing.

"I…think…we both…know how…this ends" John managed to taunt between breaths, since he knew that in a battle of attrition, he would always win. They were both still locked in a stalemate, with John holding the advantage.

"Why don't…you…just…go quietly…hmm?" John grunted with hatred lacing his voice.

"Never…" Was the sole reply the tiger growled out before he pushed himself to the limit.

John felt his arms be pushed back in once last valiant attempt. Internally grinning, John knew that the tiger was reaching his limit, but then the tiger did something he was NOT expecting. Pulling John's claws to the side, he let them go suddenly causing John to fall forward as his claws collided into the ground beside the tiger's head. At the same time, the tiger quickly raised his head, ramming into John's with a powerful head-butt, which was only made worse for John due to the metal mask covering the tiger's face. Stunned from the blow to the face, John tried standing up before he was smashed hard in the abdomen by the tiger's strong legs which caused him to double over while sliding back a couple of feet.

The tiger was back on his paws before John could do anything and now they were facing each other once again, both panting heavily. Currently, John's back was too the elevator while the tiger's was to the jail. John was feeling incredibly frustrated, not used to drawing fights out so long. Fed up with how long this was taking, John thought 'Screw this!' before swiftly backing into the elevator and reaching for the utility belt on one of the dead tigers. Pulling out the Taser, he turned back around to aim it at the tiger, who…was now currently running down the hallway, his silhouette getting smaller and smaller before he disappeared around the corner.

'He is running!? WHAT!'

John couldn't believe it after fighting like they had been. The tiger, without any warning, had started running down the hallway away from him. Sensing a brief moment of calm, John glanced back at the carnage in the elevator. One tiger, the first one he attacked and the one he grabbed the Taser from, was already dead, having bled out from being impaled straight through the neck with his claws. John had made sure to go for unprotected spots where body armor wasn't present. He wasn't stupid enough to think he could pierce armor with his claws after all.

The tiger he had recently stabbed deep in the shoulders was already unconscious due to shock, and his blood was adding to the thick pool of blood that had already formed. Over on the side, the third tiger was looking at him fearfully through his mask as he compressed his paws over his deep leg wound.

'He is out of commission; I can deal with him later' John coldly calculated as he turned his attention back to the hallway where the tiger had run. Before John went chasing, he grabbed the body of the first dead tiger and slid it out halfway of the elevator in order to prevent the door from closing, the blood still leaking from his neck now staining the hallway red. Eyeing the other tiger vindictively, he mercilessly shot the Taser into his body, feeling a small sense of satisfaction from the growls and spasms of pain that ensued as he dropped the gun. Wasting no more time, John took off, leaving a trail of bloody footprints as he chased after the coward who ran away.

Bret ran as fast as he could, controlling his breathing to prevent his mask from fogging up too much, which was now pointless since it had already fogged up plenty. Despite this, he still couldn't remove it since gas was continuously being pumped into the prison, which he found very irritating.

'I can't believe this! That bitch didn't warn us about that monster!' the tiger mentally cursed his employer for sending them into a deathtrap. Bret ran over the unconscious mammals, being extra careful not to trip over them, and continued till he reached the control room. Without hesitation, he kept on going, making several turns before entering the long hallway with the now empty cells where he finally came to a stop, listening as the wet footsteps of the red-eyed demon drew closer.

John was not far behind. Because the prison was designed linearly, there was really only one direction the tiger could have run to.

'You can run but you can't hide' thought John with dark humor as he approached his target. Coming around the final turn, John suddenly felt five sharp impacts hit him on his chest. Coming to a halt, John felt very woozy as he collapsed to one knee before looking at what struck him.

'Tranquilizers huh?' John chuckled internally. 'Those won't last too long…' he thought as he smiled. Sure enough, the intense feeling of weakness and fatigue left him and he stood back up laughing wildly before savagely ripping out each dart. Being barbed, the darts took chunks of flesh with them which John ignored without fear. Raising his head, John saw the well trained tiger aiming the dart gun in his direction, a scowl on his muzzle which John could not see.

Bret was once again disheartened at what he was seeing. 'Those were five elephant strength tranquilizers…WHAT CAN BRING THIS MAMMAL DOWN?'

Bret realized that regardless of what he did, there was no way he could win, which meant he was likely to be killed if he tried to continue fighting directly. One mistake in a fight like before could cost him his life, and he knew it.

'Unaffected by the gas or tranquilizers, heals after every injury, limitless energy, what kind of creature is this?' Bret asked himself as he started thinking about his own self-preservation.

'What can I do? I can't just keep running…' he thought as he looked around. Glancing at an open cell, a crazy plan sprung from his mind, one stemming from his own desire to live.

John, the effects of the darts already having worn off, charged straight at the tiger, who was looking away from him. John's eyes narrowed in suspicion.

'What is he doing?' John asked himself before the tiger suddenly disappeared from the hallway, and John slowed to a halt before hearing a loud metallic *SLAM* of one of the cage doors. John stood there in complete silence with an expression of pure shock. The tiger had locked himself in an open cell! John walked up to the door and opened the hatch to look inside. The tiger was sitting in the center with his legs crossed and arms folded, almost as if he was meditating, glancing at John warily through the hatch. John was completely stumped.

"Do you think you can hide in here?" John asked with menace in his voice.

"If you can get in, come get me" the tiger retorted with a cool air that really pissed John off.

"What! But…WHY…GAHH!" John sputtered with a mixture of anger and frustration. He had been thrown through a loop, and now he was faced with a dilemma. He couldn't open the door without the key, and although he _could_ easily run all the way back to get it from the unconscious gazelle that he gave the key too, but that would be a huge waste of time and effort to kill someone who was trapped anyway.

The tiger had removed himself from the picture, and John was reluctant to just leave it at that, but he had other priorities. John stood there, clenching and unclenching his hands as his eyebrows were furrowed in unwillingness. Finally, after coming to a decision, John retracted his claws and started running back to the elevator while angrily yelling behind him "You lucky bastard!".

Bret relaxed himself as he breathed in deeply. Although he had put on a tough front, he knew it was a gamble, since he didn't know if John had the key on him. 'Thank goodness he didn't' Bret thanked his luck. Pressing a button in his mask, he asked "Ma'am, are you there?"

"Yes, what happened?" was Luna's immediate reply.

"Two of us are dead, one grievously wounded, and will likely be dead soon" he reported professionally, hiding the pity he felt for his wounded brother in the elevator.

"What about you?" Luna demanded.

"Currently locked inside a cell" he deadpanned.

Up top, Luna was rubbing a paw over her face as she heard the news. A headache was starting to form as more and more problems kept developing.

"What…no wait, never mind. How did you all manage to let one mammal dispatch all four of you? You had one job!" she replied angrily.

Bret's face hardened. "Ma'am that _thing_ is no mammal. It is a demon. Why didn't you warn us?" he responded bitterly. The silence that followed told him all that he needed to know. 'She actually thought we could handle something like _that_ , she really is insane' Bret felt regret, regret at his choice of employment as he sat within the cold, nasty smelling cell, awaiting whatever the future held.

Suddenly, the silence was broken. "Where is he now?" Luna softly asked over the radio.

"Heading back to the elevator, where FUCKING else would he be? Bret snapped with heavy sarcasm as the radio went silent for the last time.

Luna was biting her paw with regret. She had truly underestimated John's abilities. She thought four of her well-trained bodyguards would be enough to handle him. 'You really can't apply reason to something like _him_ though' she contemplated as she planned her next moves. Briskly walking back into the control room, she stood by the computer and typed in a few commands. Immediately, the elevator started ascending.

John reached the elevator entrance only to find a gruesome display. Having pulled one of the dead tigers halfway out to prevent the doors from being able to close, his body was now ripped in half as a result of the elevator ascending with his body only half inside. John unconsciously frowned at the sight of the tiger's organs hanging out, but it wasn't enough to make him feel sick. There was one thing, though, that gave John a reason to celebrate.

The doors were still open thanks to the torso of the tiger, which was still blocking them from fully closing. Peeking his head through into the elevator shaft while being careful to avoid stepping on the exposed entrails, he looked up to see the elevator ascending into the darkness above. Looking around, he saw several thick wires, the ones part of the track the elevator ran on, swaying at the back of the shaft. John smiled. 'Looks like I found my way up'

In the Air Ducts

"Tom…where…are…you…going" Betty breathed out heavily as she watched her brother walk down the air duct they had taken a rest in.

"I just want to see where this goes" Tom replied with nonchalance. There was no way they could continue the climb in their exhausted state, and Tom was getting antsy just sitting around waiting. There was a sense of urgency, one born from the dire need to escape and get help, and that made him unable to relax. Tom continued down the narrow air shaft up, making several turns as he followed the shaft. Eventually, he came to an air grating that led into some kind of dark room. He shined the flashlight though the metal grate, illuminating the room in a confusing array of light beams thanks to the grate. Tom could barely make out anything except for a staircase and boxes, boxes everywhere.

'What is this?' he thought curiously.

"TOM!" Betty voiced in a loud whisper behind him.

*BANG*

"OWWWW! Betty, what the hell!" Tom seethed, rubbing his head painfully after having jumped up in surprise hitting his head against the ceiling of the shaft. He had been so engrossed in peering into the room, he didn't notice his sister sneak up behind him.

"Sorry, you didn't say where you were going so I followed. I…I didn't want to be alone in the dark" she replied sheepishly, her ears folded behind her back in shame.

Tom grumbled a bit, but ultimately decided to let it go and handed her the flashlight.

"Here, shine this at the grate" he told her.

Using the light from the flashlight, Tom kicked out the four corners of the grate which fell with a *clang* onto some kind of metal surface. Taking the flashlight from his sister, he stepped into the room and shined the light around, finally getting a good sense of what the room looked like. A rather large, unfinished basement filled to the brim with many different types of boxes containing unknown items. The smell of mold permeated throughout the space, and when Tom shined his light he found that the wood frames holding this ceiling up were rotting away, giving him a sense of uncertainty.

'This place does not look safe' he thought as he became noticeably more aware of the constant creaking noises around him.

'This place is spooky' Betty chimed in her two sense as she eyed the spider webs which were in virtually every corner. Tom nodded in agreement as he looked down on what he was standing on. The metal grate had fallen onto what appeared to be a metal filing cabinet.

"Tom, we should get out of here…" Betty spoke nervously as she grabbed her brother's shirt from behind.

"Wait, lets first see what's here" he responded bravely. Truthfully, he felt just as nervous as she was, but there was a nagging feeling at the back of his mind telling him to keep looking. Judging from the height they had already climbed, Tom guessed that this must be the basement of wherever they were being kept.

'The basement of a deranged sociopath, wonder what she keeps here?' were his thoughts. Jumping off the cabinet, he hopped onto progressively smaller boxes until he was standing right in front of the cabinet. He tried pulling one of the drawers open, but was irked when he discovered they were locked.

"Typical…" he muttered as he continued walking along stepping between boxes while looking around curiously followed closely by his sister. He found his way to the back of the room, where to his surprise he found a decrepit wooden desk and chair, on top of which sat an antique of a computer. Curiosity overcoming his hesitancy, he hopped onto the chair and then onto the desk, both of which were designed for mammals many times their size. Pressing the power button on the computer tower, he was honestly surprised when the large screen came to life. He was fully expecting it to be broken with how old and worn the model was.

'I wonder what the crazy wolf keeps on here?' he inquired mentally.

"What are you doing?" Betty asked from the floor. Tom looked around the desk, but the only thing on it was a stack of blank paper with a mouse pad and mouse. Hopping back off, he began rummaging through the desk and was pleasantly surprised when he found what he was looking for: A set of keys. Tossing them to his sister, she caught them with a confused look as he kept looking through the desk before pulling out a well-used notepad.

"Go see what was in the cabinet, maybe something interesting…" Tom instructed after handing her the flashlight. Jumping back onto the desk, note-pad in hand, he was met with the obvious _Password_ screen. He sat down and began flipping through the notepad, using the light illuminating from the computer while hoping he could find what he was looking for. After a couple of minutes of searching, Tom came up empty handed. The notebook contained barely legible scribbles and there was nothing even remotely resembling a password.

'Damn, now what?' he grumbled to himself he tossed the notebook to the side, hitting the mouse in the process which slid off the mouse pad. Tom looked over, and a thought zapped through his head as he stared at the mouse pad. Getting up, he walked over, eyeing it suspiciously.

'No way…but what if…no way it's that obvious' he argued internally. Bending over, he flipped the mouse pad. On the bottom was a sticky note with a single thing written: _BlackJack276_.

'Well now, now we're talking!' Tom thought as he smiled with glee. Entering the code onto the computer, he was met with an old bluish screen that had several file folders in the corner. " _Record of sales_... _Mammals of interest_... _Personal videos_...what is this stuff...? Before he could click on one to explore further, he was interrupted.

"TOM!"

Tom jumped as he heard his sister's terrified whimper echo in the silence. Rushing off the desk, he jumped over several boxes in order to get to her quicker.

Upon reaching her, he saw how she was sitting, her legs curled into her arms protectively while crying. A few feet away, a manila folder sat open on the ground, the papers having fallen out. Judging by the open cabinet drawer, she had found the correct key to get it open, but she clearly did not like what she discovered.

"Betty, what's…" Tom stopped midway through his sentence as he stepped on something. Looking down, he picked up what appeared to be a photograph, but he couldn't quite tell what was on it due to the lack of light. Walking over to his sister, he picked up the flashlight and shined it on the photograph, only to freeze in shock. It was a picture of them, of Tom and his sister, sitting on a bench back in Bunny Burrow. It was taken from a distance, but it still clearly was them. Tom felt ice in his veins as dread filled his very being when the horrible realization hit him.

Changing focus, he stepped up to the manila folder and picked up the cover sheet, which had the same picture printed onto a piece of paper with extra information. It contained all their basic information such as where they lived, contact information, physical descriptions, etc. but there was one thing in particular that he noticed, the part mentioning _Reason of Interest_ : _"Identical twins, Uncommon (Extra Value)_ "

Tom dropped the file and fell on his rear, still absorbing what he had just seen.

'We we're kidnapped because we were twins? How…what…I can't believe…' He couldn't find the words to express his thoughts coherently at what he had just discovered. Looking over to his sister who was still sniffling while curled into a ball, he stood back up while walking to the file cabinet. Shining the flashlight carefully, he started browsing through various files, each labeled with a specific name.

'Felicia Clawson…Amanda Trunksden…Ben Anterlson…' Tom would pull out each file while scanning the documents, and what he was discovering was sending waves of ill-feelings down his gut.

'Rare fur pattern, uncommon fur coloration, albino, heterochromia…' Tom counted off more and more interesting descriptions.

'My god…she has been tracking mammals who are unique, and kidnapping them to sell like novelty goods' Tom felt nauseous, but he couldn't stop flipping through the files, that is until he came across one in particular.

'Oh my god…' Tom's breath caught in his throat.

"Danielle Cottontail" he whispered loudly enough for his sister to hear. Betty's ears perked up at the familiar name, and she stood up, still sniffling and walked over to her brother while peering over his shoulder at the file. Tom had a premonition he wasn't going to like what he read when he pulled out the envelope, but he couldn't resist, as if some higher force was demanding he learn what had happened to one of their neighbor's kits.

"Tom…" Betty whispered uncertainly as she looked at the familiar picture on the document, "Wasn't she one of the neighbor's girls that went missing years ago?

"Yea, it was in the newspaper, her parents were devastated…" Tom spoke as he recalled how big a deal that was at the time, a bunny just vanishing one day without a trace. Till this day, they had never found her, and it became a very sore memory for the community.

" _Reason of Interest_ …" Tom began to read aloud, " _Very Rare Fur Coloration (Pure Black)_ …it's the same as the others…" he said as a knot of tension formed in his chest. Reading the document all the way through, he couldn't stop himself from reading one particular piece of information out loud:

"Sold as… _meat_ "

Tom dropped the document, his hands shaking, as the gravity of what he had just read hit them both him and his sister like a truck. Tom felt like vomiting right then and there.

'This is insanity… how could mammals be so evil' he asked himself as he slammed shut the cabinet drawer with a hard kick. Betty just resumed crying and Tom couldn't really blame her after what they had just read.

Feeling a combination of righteous anger, and nausea, Tom told Betty "Wait here" before walking off back towards the desk, leaving his sister to cry in the dark. Several minutes later, and after a lot shuffling through the desk, Tom came back holding a square object that Betty couldn't make out in the dark.

"What is that?" she inquired, still slightly traumatized from what she had read. With a grim expression, which Betty found eerie in the dark, Tom declared "Evidence…"

*SLAM!*

Tom and Betty both jumped in surprise as the door at the top of the stair slammed open, sending a bright beam of light down into the basement. With a hushed whisper, Tom said "Betty, come here…" before quickly shutting off the flashlight, grabbing his sister, and sliding between the space between the cabinet and the wall, his heart threatening to burst out of his chest. As soon as they were both out of view, they were momentarily blinded when the lights suddenly came on.

"Chet, what we grabbing down here?"

"Just look for the one that is labeled…" There was a momentary pause and a ruffling of paper, presumably from something from one of the mammal's pockets "A113…She said she needs the equipment inside it.

Tom and Betty sat nervously behind the cabinet waiting for the intruders to do they business and leave. They both looked at each other, fear and anxiety written over both of their faces. Tom put up a single digit to his mouth in the universal symbol for "shush" at which she nodded slowly. Tom then stood there quietly, praying to god they would not be discovered.

"Chet…do you smell that?" One of the two spoke aloud.

"You mean the smell of rot?" Chet replied as he rummaged through more boxes.

"No, it smells like…I don't know, like another mammal is down here" was the reply.

Tom and Betty glanced at each other nervously before turning their attention back to the conversation.

"Simon, stop getting distracted and help me find this damn box" Chet grunted in reply.

"Fine, fine, sorry"

After waiting for what felt forever even though it was only a couple of minutes, Tom heard one of the tigers exclaim "Found it! Holy shit this is heavy. Come here, give me a paw with this…"

"Ok"

The grunts of exertion and the creaking of the stairs as the duo carried the box up made both Tom and Betty sigh in relief. They were leaving, and they didn't notice that there were two mammals hiding in close proximity.

At the top of the stairs, they heard the door slam shut and the lights suddenly went out. They were gone.

"That was too close… let's get out of here! Tom spoke quickly as he pulled his sister along. They both hopped up onto the filing cabinet and continued on back into the darkness of the air duct, the soft thuds of their steps fading as they proceeded back into the void.

In the Elevator Shaft

'This is way harder than it needs to be' John thought as he grit his teeth, struggling to maintain his grip on the grease covered metal. Right now, he was slowly making his way up the elevator shaft by climbing up the swaying metal wires, which were unfortunately covered in a thick and slimy brown lubricating substance.

'Shit!' cursed John and he let out a small yell of panic when he started sliding down the wire again. Squeezing his hands as hard as he could, he managed to slow his decent before coming to a stop. Looking down into the black abyss, John let out a low whistle, not wanting to think about the possibility of falling from such a great height.

"Dammit" John exhaled as he paused only for a moment before continuing on his upward climb. By this point, he was completely covered in the disgusting brown grease which surprisingly didn't smell bad, more along the lines of being in a mechanic's machine shop. The oil now thoroughly covered his worn jeans as well, mixing with the blood that they were already soaked in. For obvious reasons though, John was completely ignoring his personal hygiene for the moment as he had more importatn things to think about, such as climbing.

Despite the incredibly low light level coming from small maintenance lights that were spread periodically along the sides of the shaft, John could still see where he was going clearly, and his goal was in sight.

'The elevator!' John mentally exclaimed as he put one arm in front of the other, carefully closing the distance between him and the elevator which was stopped.

'That MUST be where the entrance is!' he smiled in delight. As he climbed slowly, John found himself thinking back on everything that had happened to him so far, and he felt… _tired_. He was tired of being subjected to all this madness. Yes, he wanted payback for everything the wolf did to him, but even more than that, he wanted to return home, where things made sense.

'I am so tired of all this shit. Fucking talking animals, fucking torture, why did this happen to me?' he grumbled to himself, not at all pleased at how the last five months of his life had turned out. As he continued the climb, he felt his anger building once more at how unfair his predicament was, which was only adding fuel to the already blazing flame.

The thoughts distracted him enough to where he didn't even realize that he had already made it to his goal. Squeezing between the wall and the elevator, he was able to worm his way past it using the shaft beams for support as he stepped on top of the elevator. Peering through a screen on the top, he could actually see the well lit interior which was currently being boarded by another group of tigers who seemed to be preparing for another descent. He quietly listened in on the conversation, being careful to avoid making any more noise as he stood over the screen.

In front of the elevator

"Where are those two idiots" growled Luna as she stood in front of the elevator, obviously vexed. Her normally soft and well-groomed fur was currently bristled in irritation from how recent events had taken place. When the elevator has returned to the surface, she was greeted with a sight that not only gave her chills, but also ignited her fury. Two, well, two and a half dead tigers littered the floor with blood everywhere.

As for the half, it looked as though the third tiger was bisected in two when the elevator ascended, leaving only his lower body. Her bodyguards who were also present were also shocked by the scene and immediately began fidgeting nervously, which did not go unnoticed by Luna.

'Who knew one mammal could cause so many problems…' she growled as she thought about the situation. 'Ah, here they are!'

Two tigers walked through the office doors, struggling to carry what looked like a large metal case. Putting it down, they moved out of the way as Luna approached. Sliding the combo locks to a specific combination, the case latch opened up to reveal, a set of four military grade assault rifles neatly packaged in black Styrofoam along with multiple ammo cartridges. Smiling with her teeth, she called over the four tigers currently prepped for descent into the jail. Pointing at the rifles she commanded

"Each of you take one. You are to use lethal force to take _him_ down. I would advise you to aim for the legs since he represents a… _valuable_ investment, but do what you think is necessary. I am tired of his insolence"

She paused and continued "Don't worry about killing him, he won't die from gunshot wounds anyway" she remarked offhandedly, as if it was basic knowledge. The four tigers looked at each other, shrugged, and each took a rifle in paw, feeling their confidence bolstered by the powerful weapons that were now in their possession as they loaded the ammo cartridges into them.

Walking to the elevator, the other tigers present removed the dead bodies, placing them against the walls of the hallway as the four equipped tigers packed into the elevator, their foot paws sitting in the puddles of blood. Luna frowned as he looked upon the bodies leaking blood onto her nice carpet.

'Ugh, those stains will be hard to get out' she thought as she paced to the front of the elevator. She began her debrief "You know what you have to do…just be quick about it, and don't underestimate…"

*Clang!*

John kicked in the grate and dropped into the elevator, landing right into the midst of the four tigers. The suddenness of his actions caught everyone present off their guard as several gasped in surprise. Acting quickly, John jumped forward and impaled both his claws into the backs of the necks of the tigers standing in front of him. Ignoring a blow, he received to the back of the head, he retracted his claws while diving to the floor grabbing a rifle that one of the tigers dropped after they both collapsed.

Spinning around on the floor, he took aim and began firing wildly into the remaining two tigers who were also pointing their rifles right at him.

"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHH" roared John as he fired round after round of the semi-auto rifle, shredding through the tigers. The elevator resounded with multiple loud *BANGS* as bullets were exchanged. For the first few shots, John hit them square in the body armor which saved their lives for a brief moment, giving them time to put several rounds into his body before John was able to finish them. John winced heavily when they managed to fire back, the extremely close proximity making it impossible to miss.

Switching targets, John began firing at their legs before switching targets to whatever was exposed. After a very short time, the final outcome resulted in John leaning against the side of the elevator spitting out blood. John had been hit more than four times in the torso while a couple rounds went through his legs. The tigers however, fared far worse. John had managed to nail one right in the head, splattering brain matter over the back wall, while the other had taken so many rounds into his frontal body armor that eventually one penetrated, killing him. They were now slumped against the back of the elevator themselves. John looked down at the holes in his body, trying his best not to cry out in pain and instead was letting out short gasps for breaths. Despite the wounds though, he was glad his gamble had paid off.

Luna was beyond startled by John dropping right into the elevator. It was the last thing she thought would happen, and as she watched him savagely end the lives of two of her best men without warning or mercy, she fearfully began running down the hallway, determined to get away from the freak of nature.

As she ran by her bodyguards who were just as stunned by John's appearance, she shouted"KILL HIM. I DON'T CARE ANYMORE JUST KILL HIM!", unnerved by how persistent this one mammal was. She exited the hallway, slamming the double doors close and locking them, sealing everyone in space.

John continued to spit out blood as he waited for his body to recover. The rifles rounds had torn clean through his body, causing a lot of internal damage and he was currently suffering immense pain. As he recuperated, he heard the voice of the wolf he hated with all his being yell "KILL HIM. I DON'T CARE ANYMORE JUST KILL HIM!"

'Damn, no time to heal' thought John as he sat against the wall of the elevator. Ignoring the pain in his body, John leaned out into the hallway before taking aim with the rifle. Several of the bodyguard were already closing in on the elevator, and when John leaned out, they had no time to take cover before…

*BANG!*

*BANG!*

*BANG!*

*BANG!*

John started arbitrarily firing into the first three who were closest to his crouching position and they immediately jumped behind one of the wooden pillars present in the hallway. John kept firing at their cover, bullets hitting the wooden causing splinters to fly. While he was firing, he felt something graze the side of his face, realizing that the other tigers present were already returning fire with their pistols.

'Shit' thought John as he ducked back into the cover of the elevator. He sent a thought down into his body to see if he felt good enough to stand, which only came back with more feelings of pain. John frowned, it was taking longer to heal than he thought. By now the tigers had all their pistols trained on the elevator, occasionally firing rounds to keep him pinned. John peeked out again, firing a couple of rounds before swiftly ducking back to avoid the return fire.

'Damn, I'm out' John realized. While he was firing, he heard the click and realized there was no more ammo in the gun. 'No more time' he thought grimly, as he stood up, disregarding the lingering pain. Jumping across the elevator, he managed to avoid getting shot as he grabbed another loaded rifle from off the floor. Examining the weapon, he found the safety and while smiling, he flicked the it to "auto". Stepping out of the cover of the elevator, he began walking into the hallway while releasing steady bursts of bullets at anything that tried to fire back at him.

Luna stood outside the double doors listening intently to what was happening inside the hallway. "HE IS OUT, SHOOT HIM!" Luna listened intently as several shots resounded in the hallway combining with the occasional burst fire from one of the rifles she gave the four tigers which was ironically now being used by John. She hastily ducked out of the way when a bullet went through the door with a loud *pop*. From the safety of her desk, she heard more sounds coming from the hallway.

"HE IS GETTING CLOSE-GACK!" one of her bodyguards was silenced mid shout.

Gunfire continued to be exchanged, sometimes followed by screams of pain or angry shouts.

"DIE YOU FUCKING MONS-GUH" she listened as another voice was cut mid sentence, followed by another heavy thud of a body hitting the floor. She could only guess he was shot dead. The body armor her normal bodyguards wore with their uniforms was only rated for high caliber pistol rounds, and could not withstand the penetrative power of a rifle.

The hallway started becoming quieter, the reason not lost on Luna who was becoming increasingly nervous as she heard more gunshots and thuds of bodies hitting the floor.

A loud *chinck!* echoed

"HE IS OUT! RUSH HIM!"

From her side, Luna heard the remaining tigers empty out the rest of their pistols, firing repeatedly at a single target.

"OWWWWNGGGGGGGRRR" a guttural growl of pain reverberated from what she assumed was John.

"That's impossible! How can he still be standing?"

"Reload, quick!"

"WATCH IT, HE IS COMING!" Luna could hear the desperation in his voice.

"AAACK" a yell of pain from one of the tigers pierced through the wall chilling Luna to the bone

"WATCH HIS CLA-GUH" Luna listened as another was silenced.

"S-STAY BACK FREAK!" shouted the last remaining guard. Apparently he had reloaded in time because he started firing his pistol once again at whatever was coming for him.

As he fired, he cried out in fear as what he was shooting at was fast approaching, clearly ignoring the threat of a gun. Finally, he too screamed "N-NO!" before letting loose a howl of pain.

Luna flinched when she heard something impact the double door's leading into the hallway, before the thing that hit it slid to the floor. It was a body, presumably from the tiger who was just killed.

'He-He killed them all…' Luna thought as she fought to control her urge to run as far away as she could. This was beyond anything she thought she would ever have to deal with. Standing behind her desk, she pursed her muzzle as she mentally prepared for she knew was coming.

John stood at the end of the hallway, clenching his hands as he flexed his body, the numerous bullets wounds on his body healing as bullets fell out of the holes, landing on the floor as they rolled away. John looked down back down the hallway, which was now a bloody mess with the dead bodies littering the blood red carpet in various positions.

'Aaaah, that hurts' he moaned as he shrugged his shoulders, the last of the bullets falling out of his body. He looked with venom at the locked door, before heading back towards the elevator to grab a third rifle, one that still had ammo.

Luna stood behind the desk, firmly grasping a special object she had kept hidden for emergencies that was hanging underneath. She was watching the door intently, waiting for John's arrival. Seconds felt like hours, but eventually she heard his footsteps approaching the door.

*BANG*

The lock was shot through and the double doors were suddenly kicked opened. Luna's fur bristled as she took in the sight of the freakish mammal, who appearance made her breath catch in her throat. John was shirtless, with his well-defined body soaked in streaks of grease and blood. His jeans, now riddled with holes, were dark red, damp with sweat, blood, and grease stains.

'He has been busy…' Luna grimaced as the incredibly strong smell of blood radiating off him both excited and scared her. She watched as he slowly spun his head, getting a clear outlook of the room before he locked eyes with hers. Luna watched as John's face went from elation to absolute fury as his expression morphed from a gleeful smile to a sinister frown of concentration that caused the room temperature to drop a few degrees, at least that's what Luna felt.

"Hello John, nice to see you ag-ACK!" she was cut short when John quickly fired the rifle in her direction, hitting her right in the side of her abdmomen. She released a pained filled whimper as she fell behind the desk, and John began walking slowly to where she fell, taking his time.

'Oh how the mighty have fallen…' he thought with dark humor as he approached the desk. Words could not describe how satisfying it had been to hear the bitch cry in pain, but he just wanted it to be over. He wasn't about to make the mistake of wasting time. He didn't know where he was and if there were more guards present.

'Gonna put one right between her eyes…then that will be that' he affirmed to himself. When he got to the desk, he circled around it, the rifle held in his grip read to shoot, but was shocked at what he found. Luna was holding a shotgun, a double barrel shotgun. John was frozen in place, and he felt true fear for the first time since his escape. He didn't know if he could survive being blown away by something like that. In the split second after he came around the corner, Luna smiled with blood leaking out of her muzzle before she spoke. "Checkmate"

*BOOM*

John, not reacting quick enough to dodge, was blown backwards as his scream became choked by his own blood. He felt each pellet as it ripped its way through his body, tearing the organs in his chest to shreds, making him feel as though someone lit a fire in his chest. Dropping the rifle that he was holding, John hit the floor, expelling blood and air as the wind was knocked out of him. Teetering on the edge of consciousness, all John could think about was the pain as he tried to breath, but found it incredibly difficult with the amount of damage done to his lungs.

Releasing several gasps, he coughed out pieces of phlegm filled with small bloody chunks. 'Too much…too much…' his mind was screaming at him as he tried to roll over. There was too much damage. He could barely move. Luna stood up shakily as she held her side, blood spilling out of her wound and leaking out of her muzzle. She limped over to where John was laying on his back. John, barely coherent, tilted his head up to look at his chest, but all he saw was a large hole where his chest plate used to be. He could even see his lungs which he found beyond disturbing.

Seeing Luna approach, the blood from her wound staining her white fur red, he remembered why he was suffering in the first place and he tried reaching for the rifle which was to his right. Luna sped up her pace and kicked the rifle away from John's reach. She stood over him, looking… _disappointed_. John simply stared back at her, completely defenseless. He was beaten, and he was in agonizing pain.

'She got me good' John managed to think as he felt his mind slipping. He watched as she raised the shotgun, placing the end of the barrel right to his head. John stared down the tool of his demise, closing his eyes for what he thought would be the last time.

'Not going to live without a head, guess this is where I die…fuck' This is not where he thought his life would end. He wanted to experience so much more. Resentment filled his thoughts.

"You…have been a real pain…in my ass, John. Luna suddenly spoke with difficulty between breaths as she held the shotgun steady. John opened his red eyes and glared into her blue ones, before sputtering "Screw… *cough* screw you!" as he coughed up more dark blood which was forming a trail down the side of his mouth. He noticed her paw tighten around the trigger, and he laid his head back, waiting for the end to come.

"Mom…what's going on?"

John heard a child's voice speak up from behind him. Leaning his head back, he opened his eyes to see the little cub he had gotten acquainted with some time ago standing in front of the doors to the office, looking at the scene in front of him with obvious fear and confusion.

"Mom, what are you doing? Why are you bleeding? Why is he here?" The cub asked with genuine concern as he glanced between his mother and John.

John turned his head back to the she-wolf, who looked completely mortified. Her normally arrogant and confident demeanor was completely absent as she shook in absolute terror.

"Fang…this is…I'm not…I mean…what are you doing out of bed?" she asked, attempting to level her voice.

If John wasn't so hurt, he would have laughed at that response. He could only imagine how terrible they both looked right now, all things considered.

"It was very loud, and something smelled funny, so I came to see what you were doing" He replied innocently, although he looked incredibly shaken.

"Fang…you need to go back to bed…" Luna began while trying to speak reassuringly to her kit.

John saw his chance. Without warning, he raised his arm and grabbed hold of the shotgun barrel, pushing it up and away from his head. Luna, completely flustered by her kits appearance, was startled by John's sudden movements, and she accidentally fired the second round when she tightened her hold on the shotgun. The blast flew harmlessly over John's head, to his relief.

"OWW!" From behind John heard the cub moan in pain. Confused, John looked back only to feel a sense of shock. The kit was holding his stomach, blood slowly beginning to permeate through his clothes on the spot he was holding. He had been hit by one of the pellets when John shoved the gun away.

For a brief moment, everything was still, and then Luna shrieked "NOOOOOOO" like a banshee before dropping the shotgun and running over to her cub. John watched with complex emotions as she cradled the kit in her arms. He didn't mean for the kid to get hurt.

"FANG, stay with me baby! everything is going to be ok" Luna spoke softly as she brushed the fur on her kits face. The kid whimpered as he said with difficulty "Mommy, it-it hurts". Luna looked as though she was about to start crying in grief, something that John never though he would see from a mammal like her.

Luna turned to look at John who was watching them with a complex expression, and she felt her rage boiling over as she realized: 'This is all HIS fault!'

Gently placing her bleeding cub down, she snarled loudly as she pounced on John in a blind rage, and began tearing into him with her claws, widening the hole in his chest even more while she bit into his neck. Although the collar was covering the middle of his neck, it still didn't prevent her from finding the part that was uncovered, which she torn into savagely. All the while, John felt... _numb_. He knew that he was being attacked, but he was already in so much pain that her hate fueled attacks didn't add much to it.

His mind was a battlefield, one part wanting him to just let her kill him, and end the suffering. The other part of him wanted to live, but that part was losing more and more ground each second. As Luna bit down even harder, crushing his neck making it impossible to breath, he had all but given up.

'Just let the nightmare end' he resigned himself. As he fell more and more away, John suddenly felt strange, as if he was longer longer inside his own body which was being torn to shreds in reality, and a voice in his mind started speaking to him. For some inexplicable reason, John already knew what the voice belonged too.

'But... you are not done yet. You cannot die' his will to live spoke calmly.

'What does that mean?' he argued to himself.

'You still gotta help that little cub friend you made, don't you?' spoke his will.

'I bet those two bunnies have already gotten help, she will be fine' he argued back.

'What if they haven't? retorted his will.

'Why does it matter anyway? Why does anything matter anymore. I don't belong in this place. I don't belong anywhere…' he continued to argue.

'That might be true, but what if _she_ gets away with everything she has done. Can you really live that?' his will replied.

'Well, I wont have to _live_ with it much longer...' John grumbled to himself.

The voice did not reply, and silence ensued. Finally, John's facade broke and he sighed like a broken man.

'…No, that wouldn't be fair. Not to anyone, especially to those down in her prison' he reluctantly agreed.

'Then push a little harder, finish the job, don't be a coward' his will concluded and vanished. John had never wanted to punch himself more that in this moment

'Thanks me, such a good motivator' he finished sarcastically, knowing full well that his _sweet release_ would have to wait just a bit more.

John's vision refocused, forcing the encroaching blackness to recede around him. He really had been close to death there, and the surreal out of body experience filled him with a renewed purpose. Using the last bit of energy he had in his body, John struggled as he lifted both his arms and extended his claws. Luna was still busy tearing her jaws into his neck in her blind rage, so she didn't immediately notice that John had begun to move again.

*Puchi*

John sunk both his claws deep into the sides of the she-wolf sitting on him as she released his neck in pained whimper. As he held her, pinned on his claws that were deep in her body, John locked eyes with her and saw a mix of surprise and hatred. Retracting his claws, John's arms fell limply at his sides, the last reserves of his energy completely spent. Luna, mortally wounded, rolled off of John's mutilated body and crawled over to her cub as her tail dragged behind her limply. Scooping him up, she nuzzled his body as crawled towards the wall, painfully aware that he had already stopped breathing. Sitting against it, she held her dead son close to her chest as she slowly faded.

She began to think about how all of this happened, and as regret filled her system, her life began replaying itself. She remembered her abusive parents, the first time she killed another mammal and how good it felt, her revenge on all those who had wronged her before she became powerful, giving birth to her cub. Luna's eye's became wet with tears. Right now, that was her biggest regret. Luna knew she was no decent mammal, but she never thought karma would be so swift and decisive, losing the one thing she cared about over all else in a matter of moments, and by her own mistake. As she slowly slumped over while leaning on the wall, her final thoughts were about her cub, and how she wished she could have maybe just, done things differently.

John could not see what was happening behind him, or hear the thoughts going through the she-wolf's head. In fact, he could not see or hear much of anything anymore as he continued to bleed out of all the wounds covering his body. His vision was failing, and he felt cold as everything started getting darker.

'How was that huh?' he mentally chirped to himself. There was no response, the silence telling him all he needed to know. 'Figures' he muttered to himself as his thoughts became less and less coherent. The pain he was feeling slowly faded as his mind did. As he lay there on the floor of the office, his lasts thoughts before slipping away were 'Huh, guess dying's not so bad after all'

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 **A/N: Any typos or blatant grammatical mistakes, let me know!**


	14. Chapter 14

**A/N: A few things: 1) Sorry it has taken so long to post anything. For the first time since I started writing this, I have come upon some writers block. I have typed and deleted many variations of this chapter because I didn't like the way it was going.**

 **2) This chapter is shorter than my others, really only one scene. I usually write 3-4 scenes per chapter, but I am halfway through the next and I refuse to allow an entire month pass before I update. And I wont be able to work on this for the next week and a half since finals. Real life problems.**

 **3) A huge shout out to Bosstwin, the awesome dude who offered to make me this cover art and hit it out of the park. In my opinion, it's badass, but obviously I am biased. Thanks man, I really do appreciate it. Enjoy!**

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Chapter 14

…

…

…

…

'What!?'

John sat up suddenly, gripping the side of the wooden boat he was laying down in as he wiped away the cold sweat on his head. For a moment, horrible memories flooded through his mind as he rubbed his eyes with one hand. Fragmented scenes of drowning, of starving, of being mercilessly tortured by...something, and finally being blown to pieces. Vaguely remembering that last bit, John looked down at his chest and exhaled in relief when he found that there was no hole in his chest. In fact, he was completely clean and unharmed, wearing his usual summer weather gear: tan cargo shorts and a plaid shirt with hiking boots.

'What a weird dream…' he thought to himself as he looked around. His eyes were greeted by a familiar landscape, one that held many pleasant memories. John smiled. He was floating on the pond that his dad had taken him to many times before for fishing during the summer. In fact, John just now noticed that there was a fishing rod held between his legs with the line already cast out into the pond, the bob floating peacefully on the surface sending out tiny ripples. Some twinkling of light caught his attention, and looking up he could see the sunlight flickering between the drooping vines of the willow tree that was hanging over the boat, providing shade while speckling the water with rays of sunlight.

'Must have fallen asleep, but what was that dream?' John asked himself while rubbing the sleep from his eyes. There was a nagging sensation at the back of his mind, telling him he was missing something, that something wasn't right, but he chocked it up to his own fried nerves after having such an intense nightmare.

"You ok over there, punk?" John heard a lazy voice from behind. Spinning around, he did a double take.

"Dad?" John croaked.

His dad was sitting there on the other end of the rowboat, wearing his trademark yellow stained wife-beater one size too small, with his belly hanging out. He was reclining on a white folding chair with his hairy legs propped up on the cooler he had brought with him. In one hand he was holding a beer while in the other he was holding his own fishing rod, line already cast. Gracing the top of his head, a frayed straw hat was titled forward at an angle to keep the light out of his eyes, and John stared as his dad slowly took a swig from the bottle before readjusting himself to get more comfortable.

John snorted. 'He looks like such a bum' John thought as he smiled in humor, but then frowned again. He once more felt that something was off, everything seemed too… _normal_. They had done the same thing every summer, and John was already used to his dad looking like such a slob, but that was part of his personality, something that John had naturally grown fond of over the years.

"What's the matter boy?" John suddenly heard his dad speak, the conflict on John's face not going unnoticed.

John shook his head, turning back around to stare at the bob from his fishing line floating in the water. "Nothing, just had a weird dream" John replied casually as he shrugged.

"Hmmm" was his dad's bored reply.

John sat there, enjoying the warm breeze as it blew across the pond, creating tiny waves which just barely reached the sandy bank. All around them, they were surrounded by overgrown fields of grass swaying in the breeze. Out of the corner of his eye, John observed as a turtle crawled its way out of the water and onto a fallen log resting against the shore to sun itself. Yeah…this place was just how he remembered it. Slowly, as the boat gently swayed in the water and the tranquil atmosphere worked its magic, the feeling of anxiety, that something was "off", began to fade, and John began to really relax whilst enjoying the serenity of nature.

'This is…nice' John smiled fondly as he laid back down in the boat, arms behind his head and eyes closed. There weren't many times he could remember feeling so at peace, and this place always succeeded in making him calm. Time seem to slow to a crawl.

…

…

…

"Hey, dad?" John spoke up softly, still laying on his back.

…

"What is it, boy?" his dad responded, almost sounding annoyed that John broke the peaceful silence.

"What…what should I do with my life? I mean, I have some ideas, but I just don't know for sure. What did you do when you were at my age?"

There was a pregnant pause as the warm breeze blew by.

"Hmm…well, that's a tough one" his dad began as he scratched the stubble on his chin. "Just do whatever you want. Not much else to tell you there. As for me, well, let's just say I did once have plans, but then some, uh, … _fortunate_ accidents happened, and well… those got put on hold" he finished while scratching his head.

"Is that your way of saying you knocked up mom too early?" John quipped humorously.

Slapping his knee, John's dad let out a high pitched laugh which grated on John's ears. "That's about right, yeah!" his dad bellowed loudly in between bouts of laughter.

John smiled. That was such a typical response, one he should have expected from his him, but was appreciated nonetheless.

'Just do whatever I want, huh?' John hummed to himself. Before his dad could doze off again, John asked another question

"Well pops, what would you do if you were me?

"If I were you?" he replied questioningly.

"Yeah, well, if you were like me" John said as he unsheathed his claws and held them up for emphasis. John wasn't expecting what he heard next.

"Well… I would go into boxing. I mean with your build, and that _bullshit healing power_ or however your mother explained it, you would easily become a champion, if you didn't use those, obviously. But hey, that's just me"

John burst out laughing, imagining his pudgy dad as a boxer. It was just too funny.

"Hey, I can still take you down, you punk!" his dad countered indignantly.

"Pffft, yeah, whatever dad" John snorted, completely unfazed by the empty threat. It had become a ritual between them, his dad always saying he could beat him in a fight while John would retort.

John resumed his relaxing, hoping to possibly drift into a peaceful nap, but something stopped him. For some reason, the nagging feeling came back, only this time, it was much stronger. Something was _wrong,_ and John knew it. He sat up, staring at the water trying to piece together whatever was plaguing his mind. Fragmented memories put themselves back together.

John looked at the sunset, past the fields of grass, and he saw something that gave him goosebumps. There was a large, black, tear in the sky stretching across the entire horizon, and it seemed to be widening. He felt a sudden sensation that the world was falling apart. The bad premonition in his chest worsened.

'That can't be right…' he thought as he watched the tear in reality widen more and more.

Feeling a hand placed on his shoulder, John turned around to see his dad staring him in the eyes with an uncharacteristically serious face.

He spoke solemnly, "Just remember son, we love you, regardless of what you choose…"

John was at a loss for words. "Uhhhh…"

John felt a sudden a tug at his legs, and turning around, he discovered that there was a nibble on the end of the line. Feeling there was nothing else he could do, he grabbed the line and tried to reel in the catch. The line didn't budge however, and instead a great force yanked the pole from his hands and dragged it under the water.

Everything happened so fast. All of the sudden, clouds formed in the sky and blocked out the sun, changing the sky from a welcoming blue to an ominous grey. The wind picked up to unsafe levels, causing actual waves to form on the surface of the pond and the willow hanging above to shake vigorously. John had to steady himself on the boat as it began to rock. There was a flash of lightning, and John turned around to check on his dad, only to see that the man he was talking to only seconds ago was gone.

'What the hell…?' John thought in a confusion. The uneasy feeling continuously grew larger, filling his chest to the brim with anxiety. The weather could not have possibly changed this fast, and where the hell did his dad go? Nothing made sense.

Sliding onto wooden boat seat, John grabbed the oars sitting at the bottom and began to row back to shore as more and more lightning flashed, their explosive echoes resounding across the pond all around him. He almost made it to the muddy bank, but then he noticed something that frightened him. The boat was beginning to flow back towards the middle of the pond, despite his efforts. Looking at the center, he was horrified to see a giant whirlpool forming.

"Oh no no No No NO!" John yelled as he tried to increase his rate of rowing, which did nothing as the whirlpool pulled him in. Dragged closer and closer to the horrifying cyclone of death, which was now roaring loudly, John futilely watched as he came upon the brink. Before the boat tipped and was sucked down, John desperately jumped into the water and tried swimming away before the boat got caught in the vortex, but he only managed to buy himself a couple of seconds before he too was sucked in.

John lost the ability to breathe as he was pulled under and sucked down into the darkness, the light of the surface getting further and further away, and unbridled terror seized his very being. Slowly losing consciousness, the last thought that passed through his mind was of his dad.

…

…

…

John's eyes snapped open, and he reflexively tried to inhale, only to find that his lungs where already filled.

"PHUAHAHAHAHA" John violently coughed, spitting out globs of red fluid onto the carpet as he drained said fluid from his lungs. On his last violent cough, he felt three solid objects sitting in his mouth which he promptly spat out onto the floor. Turning his head, he saw that they were metal pellets from the shotgun blast he took to the chest earlier.

'That felt so real…' John thought in a daze while remembering the pleasant dream he just had while a feeling of nostalgia and longing flowed through him. Right now, he wished for nothing more than to return to it. It brought back pleasant memories of home, and the painful knowledge that he had been away for so long.

John caught his breath as the last of the fluid trapped in his lungs was expelled with a final loud wheeze, and as he focused his vision, he finally took notice of the surrounding commotion, and of the large form that was looming over him.

John's whole body tensed up as he looked up at the massive tiger. Suddenly, all the memories of what had happened resurfaced at once, and John's eyes opened wide as he realized the danger he was in. Reacting on instinct, John tried to sit up and get away, but found that his body didn't even budge. The unnatural explosive strength and energy he had used to get to this far had run its course like adrenaline, and now his body was paying the price.

Oh yeah, and there was still the hole in chest to consider, the feeble attempts to move reminding John of that particular tidbit in all of the _worst_ ways. Excruciating pain shot throughout his body like molten lava, and John could not suppress the whimper/whine that escaped from his mouth. Everything hurt, incomprehensibly bad.

In no position to move let alone fight back, John could only focus on the figure that he assumed was another one of the she-wolf's minions here to finish the job. The tiger was big, bigger than most of the tigers he had dealt with earlier. Unlike the others though, she wasn't wearing a suit…

'Wait a minute…' John realized something and he struggled to ignore the pain. The tiger standing over him was wearing some kind of blue uniform with a utility belt. Examining her tan and black furred face as he breathed sharply, John was surprised to see her expression, one of shock and horror, as if she was staring at a ghost.

And then the tiger screamed, her loud feminine voice hurting John's ears.

"CHIEF!"

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 **A/N: Any typos or any major grammatical mistakes, let me know.**


	15. Chapter 15

**AN: Yeah, had trouble with this one. There were so many ways I could have started it and I tried each of them. It's amazing how many different ways one can say the same thing when you really try. More of an exposition chapter than anything. In one of my renditions, I explained what happened directly, but I decided to leave that for the next one. Finals done. More time to write. All that good stuff.**

 **Cover art by Bosstwin**

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Chapter 15: Awake

Chaos, that's what John remembered as he drifted back and forth between the living and the dead, unable to focus on anything in particular in his current condition. The first time he lost consciousness was shortly after the female tiger screamed her head off. He was immediately surrounded on all sides by blurry figures who seemed to arguing amongst themselves, before finally coming to a decision.

As one of the figures leaned down to touch him, John tried to muster the clarity to tell the figure "fuck off!", but the only sound that came out of his mouth was a painful moan. Once the figure grabbed his shoulder, John was unable to resist as he started rolling him…

'GUAGAGAGUAHHH!' The nerves in his body shot off like fireworks as he was rolled, the pain being so intense that John moaned loudly before mercifully blacking out. When he awoke, he was back in the same supine position, but felt something was different.

Shifting his attention, he looked over to his right and found he was laying on top of a stretcher. Something in John's mind clicked just then. 'If I am on a stretcher, that means they are helping me…right?' John was not an optimist. For all he knew, he could be being taken to some other hellish place. Unfortunately, however the situation really was, he was powerless to do anything about it, so he decided to just focus on the pain, which was pulsing through him in unrelenting waves.

All around him, voices merged together in a kind of murky soup where it was impossible for John to distinguish anything useful. There was a ringing in his ears, and his vision was swimming, the amalgamation of colors around him making it hard to perceive anything.

Suddenly, one of the blurry figures came running into the room from the hallway, clearly agitated judging by the sound of his voice. He started conversing with the largest figure in the room, a big mammal with thick horns, before everything got suddenly quite.

John could only make out one word in their conversation, but it was the only word that mattered, the same word that caused everyone else to be silent: "Bomb"

The next thirty seconds were chaos, blurry figures moving all around him shouting out non-distinct things, clearly rushing. John felt the world spin as he was suddenly hoisted into the air, and began moving. Before he could even register what was happening, John suddenly fell back to the ground with a thud while almost rolling off the stretcher, and his hateful, damaged body painfully reminded him that there was a large gaping hole in his chest.

John once again lost consciousness from the fall, thinking about how he didn't need any reminders of something so obvious while at the same time mentally cursing the person…mammal…whatever, who had dropped him, assumingly by accident in their haste.

John, for the third time today, regained consciousness. By now, he found himself wishing that he could just stay knocked out, but alas, it was not something he could control. Cursing his body, John was reminded of his own ironic existence. While his constitution kept him alive, it seemed to extend the suffering, not dulling the pain in the slightest.

Bearing with the rocking as the two figures carried him, they stepped outside and John was suddenly assaulted by loud noises and flashing red and blue colored lights. His surroundings became more and more fuzzy, the lights and sounds merging together into a confusing orchestra. The only reason he could really tell he was now outside, was the smell of fresh air and the painfully bright beams of sunlight which only amplified the forming headache.

Just when John thought he was finally adjusting to his new surroundings, the world decided it was not done fucking with him yet, and an enormous "BOOOOM!" resounded, the shockwave spreading a concussive blast into the immediate surroundings. John felt his bones rattle all the way up to his skull. There was a lot of shouting, a lot of cursing, and the two figures carrying him seem to double their pace trying to create distance from the house, which was now engulfed in flames.

Eventually, John was taken to a truck shaped vehicle, one which he instantly recognized as an ambulance, and all of John's suspicions vanished.

'They are helping me…those two bunnies must have gotten help' John concluded. Relief flooded through him, and the knot of apprehension that had formed from his earlier suspicions vanished. Like opening the floodgates to a dam, the knowledge that he had finally escaped from his own personal slice of hell caused a river of exhaustion to wash over his body.

As he was loaded into the back, he looked over at the bright cloud of flames that was the mansion where he had been kept prisoner. Like a sharp needle in the arm, John suddenly remembered the talking mammals trapped underground with him and immediately felt anxious about their well-being. The anxiety was short lived though, as he came to an important realization. 'Oh wait a minute…they're deep underground, they should be fine'

The burning of the mansion would not affect those poor bastards underground, of that John was certain, but he was unsure as to whether or not they would be able to rescue them quickly thanks to the fire. 'Oh well, I did everything I could' John thought to himself as he laid back against the pillow on the chair he was on.

Hungry, tired, and in immense pain, John somehow managed to fall asleep despite the circumstances. Maybe god was merciful after all.

…

…

…

John remembered reading once that dreams were almost like a science. A sort of pseudo-science. For example, John read that when someone dreams of falling, it is the manifestation of a feeling of "lack of control" of one's own life, often happening in people with depression. Right now, he wished he read a little further, because he didn't know what the hell was going on inside his head.

John was feeling a constant sensation of falling as he moved from one bizarre scene after the next. Sometimes he was back home, other times he was once again among the pack he lived with during the harsh winter. There were more than a few times where he was once again chained against the wall suffering unspeakable torment.

And there were even times where he was chained to a bed in a white room, with bizarre creatures running around him. But every time he seemed to get a grasp of the situation, the sensation would take hold, and he would move on to the next confusing scene, losing whatever grasp on reality he had managed to obtain.

In this fashion, John continued to experience bizarre and unexplainable dreams, drifting in and out of self-awareness. When the sensation finally stopped, when the dust of reality finally settled in his mind, John finally opened his eyes.

Feeling for a moment the awareness of being lucid, he wondered if the psychedelic mind fuck he had been experiencing was what is was like for people who did drugs back home, and he was glad that it seemed to have ended.

As John slowly opened his eyelids, he immediately regretted doing so. The fluorescent lights hanging above him were a bit too bright for his eyes, which had gotten used to the darkness. As he inhaled deeply, he smelled the familiar scent of hand sanitizer which puzzled him.

'Where am I?' he asked himself as he found that he was strangely comfortable, a sensation he hadn't felt in a long time.

Lifting his head up, John looked down at his body, finding that it was covered in soft warm white blankets.

'Hold up…'

John spun his head around, and took in the unfamiliar surroundings. He was in a small white room with white countertops full of what appeared to be medical supplies. Above him, a large contraption which looked like a projector/scanner was swung off to the side, hanging idly. To his left, he saw a silver tray full of surgical equipment that gave him chills.

On the right, there was some kind of medical machine with wires and tubes leading under his blankets, which he felt were connected to him on his arms and chest; A bag of yellow fluid held up by a metal pole slowly dripping down into one of said tubes which most likely was flowing into him. Over in the corner, was a rather large double door with circular windows that led to somewhere unknown.

'This must be a surgical room of a hospital' was the conclusion John came to, and it did explain the sanitation smell. He sent a thought down into his chest to assess its status

'It doesn't hurt…huh' John thought, relieved that the constant burning sensation he had felt ever since he had been shot was no longer present. It was as if feeling _normal_ was almost strange.

John tried sitting up…only to find that he was unable too. In fact, when he tried moving his arms, he found that they were unresponsive as well. Something was holding him down.

'Uh oh'

Panic started to build. John grabbed the blanket with his teeth and flipped it back revealing several black straps across his chest holding him fast to the bed.

'Oh god please no'

John started to struggle, pushing against the straps holding his arms and legs down with all his strength. The bed rocked and creaked, but the straps didn't break.

"Not again" John grunted out as he flexed once more, the bed beginning to make ominous cracking sounds. He hated being restrained, especially after what he had recently went through.

"Ahem, please stop that. You're going to break the bed" a voice in the room spoke up.

John immediately ceased his struggle, his eyes widening while spinning his head like a top to locate the source of the voice. Finding nothing, he was beginning to question his hearing before the voice spoke up again: "I know you can't see me and I apologize, give me a second…"

John waited with as much patience as he could muster while he listened to the owner of the voice fiddle around with something, eventually coming to a stop right next to his bed. John wanted nothing more than to lean over and look down, only being prevented from doing so no thanks to the straps.

Over the side of his bed, he saw a metal bar appear, and he immediately understood that the owner of the voice must have been grabbing a stepstool. The speaker started walking up the miniature steps, and when he finally poked his head over, John's mouth nearly opened in shock.

It was a beaver, a beaver in a lab coat, wearing glasses. John's face betrayed no surprise however, and he kept his face stoic as he watched the beaver get to the last step of the stool and gaze at him curiously.

The beaver began speaking. "Hello there, my name is Chuck Alder, a doctor here at Zootopia General Hospital. You took quite a bit of a… _beating,_ before you were brought in. You are safe now. May I ask you for your name?"

To the beaver's credit, he seemed to be speaking and acting like a true professional, but John could see the signs. The beaver was clearly nervous, judging by his shallow breathing, and the slightly raised hairs on the back of its neck being an obvious sign of apprehension. His tight grip on the bar of the stepstool seemed to say that he was tense, and John could only guess why, but he really didn't care.

His eyes, however, told John something else. He was obviously curious, watching John's every move like an analyst, as if he watched John long enough, he would discover his secrets. It gave John a feeling of being "under the microscope", and John very much disliked that feeling.

John cleared his throat, and the beaver flinched in response. Speaking with the friendliest and most disarming voice he could muster, John replied "Why hello there doc, my name is Johnathan, but I prefer John"

The beaver was taken aback by such an enthusiastic response, and his posture relaxed significantly.

'Good' thought John.

"Say doc, you think you could do me a favor and let me out of these straps, they're very tight and itchy" John spoke pleadingly.

"No can do I'm afraid. Not my decision to make" the beaver replied.

'Damn, what should I do?' John asked himself. He kept a smile on his face though, not letting any deception be seen on his face.

"Well John, although I have many questions to ask you, now that you are awake I have to go inform everyone else. Luckily I was here for your routine checkup, otherwise you would have been waiting for a long time" the beaver said almost sounding disappointed.

The beaver began descending the step stool. "WAIT!" John yelled loudly.

Jumping from the outburst, the beaver nearly fell off the step stool before righting himself and adjusting his glasses. "W-What is it John?" he stammered in response.

John decided to come clean, seeing no other options. "Please doc, please just let me out of these. I… I hate being restrained like this. Brings back a lot of bad memories" John spoke with sincerity.

The doctor eyed him carefully, prudently choosing his next words. Taking off his glasses for effect, the beaver looked at him solemnly and said "I am very sorry John, but it really isn't my decision to make. You were strapped down because you were thrashing around during your… _coma_. At this point, I am not allowed to unstrap you without the presence of the police. I will be right back" finished the beaver before hopping off the stool and walking towards the double doors.

At first, when the doctor said the word "coma", John became a little dazed, wondering how long he had been out, but when the beaver uttered the word police, John's face paled, and he immediately became nervous. Right after the beaver walked out of the room, John began struggling as hard as he could, letting out loud grunts and roars of exertion while trying to break free. The straps wouldn't budge, however, and he only succeeded in tiring himself out.

Laying his head back against the pillow, he felt resigned to his fate, praying to god that he wouldn't be sent off to another lab somewhere. Time went by slowly, and John's nerves became more fried with each minute that past.

After almost thirty minutes went by, John began wondering 'What's taking them so long?'

Eventually, he heard the sound of other supposed talking mammals approaching outside the double doors. John lifted his head and watched as the doors swung open, revealing a huge cape buffalo in a blue police uniform. The buffalo had to duck to get into the room, and John noticed that there were several other types of mammals in police uniforms standing right outside the door.

Clearly, they were there to prevent him from doing anything stupid, and John frowned at the knowledge of their presence. The buffalo walked right up to the side of John's bed, and looked down at him with a bland expression on his face. John tried to get a read on his thoughts, but the buffalo's visage only informed him that the buffalo was angry.

John's eyes narrowed, this brute of a policeman gave him a bad vibe, and John did not appreciate the obvious scowl on his face. Despite having a different anatomy, the look of displeasure was unmistakable, as if seeing John angered him, and John was scowling in return. John never liked the police.

Chief Bogo walked into the operating room after being informed that the strange mammal had woken up from his coma. After receiving the call from one of his officers stationed at the hospital, he rushed over in order to deal with this mess.

As Bogo thought about the last week, he scowled in frustration and fatigue. The past week had been absolute hell, and the amount of paperwork, request for interviews from the piranha like news agencies, and general lack of sleep had put him into a bad mood, hence the unfriendly expression.

Now, walking into the room of the mammal who was the cause of it all, he wasn't able to hide it. The fact that this creature had also threatened the life of an officer some time ago definitely hadn't been forgotten, and Bogo already had a bad impression of this newly discovered predator. He was going to get to the bottom of this.

John though, had no idea what was going on in the large mammal's head, and the expression the buffalo was giving him was not giving John a good first impression either. Unfortunately, John was at his mercy, and John could only reign in his temper.

Bogo entered a sort of staring contest with the strange mammal strapped to the bed. If he was being honest with himself, he really didn't know what to say. There was too much to talk about, too many questions to ask, and Bogo had no idea what kind of mammal he was dealing with. He had read the hospital reports and even interviewed the doctors taking care of this mammal.

From what he had read and been told, the mammal before him defied the laws of nature and should be, from a medical perspective, dead. The situation was truly…bizarre, and although Bogo was by no means inexperienced, this was definitely something he had never dealt with before.

The silence persisted, and persisted, and persisted. The beaver who informed the police of John's awakening stood by silently, the tension in the air being an almost invisible force preventing him from speaking. Finally, after Bogo reached the end of his patience, decided to push forward with the most direct approach.

"How are you feeling?" he spoke in a deep gruff voice.

John raised an eyebrow. 'Not the first question I would have guessed he would ask'

"Fine…I guess. Still strapped down though…" John hinted his intentions in an obvious manner.

The buffalo replied after a brief moment of silence "… I can release you if you promise not to do anything stupid"

John glared at him, and the buffalo leveled the same look right back. Sighing loudly, John looked away and spoke with clear reluctance "Fine, just let me out…please"

The buffalo nodded and suddenly yelled loudly "DELGATO, FANGMEYER, GET IN HERE!"

John looked on as the double doors swung open revealing two more mammals in the same uniform as the buffalo, with a little less bling on their collars. John put two and two together and realized that this buffalo was either a chief or Captain or something. The two mammals who walked in were a tigress and grey wolf, and John scrutinized them both carefully.

The two mammals were also observing John curiously. Noticing how John eyes were two different colors, the wolf playfully said "Neat pair of eyes there, where can I get some like that?" with a warm smile on his muzzle revealing his fangs.

John just stared at the wolf, kind off thrown off balance by the random question. The buffalo only snorted in annoyance while the tigress smacked the wolf on the head, who whimpered in response. "It was just a joke, geez" he whined.

"Shut up, not the time" the tigress spoke coldly, but her eyes were filled with humor. John found the interaction slightly funny, be he was not in any mood to laugh.

"It's called heterochromia when a mammal had two different colored eyes" the beaver, who had been quiet the whole time spoke up, trying to be helpful.

"This is all fantastic…can you unstrap me now?" John spoke with false excitement, interrupting their little scene.

The two officers looked to their Chief who nodded. Walking to his bedside, the officers undid the straps one at a time starting with his legs leaving his upper body for last. When they were done, they backed off quickly and John slowly sat up, the covers coming off.

He discovered that he was wearing only a hospital gown, and felt very naked. Somehow, he was clean, which seemed impossible considering how disgusting he was before being taken here. There were tubes filled with fluid entering his arms and John carefully pulled them out, setting them aside.

Sliding his feet off the bed, he stood up, plating his bare feet onto the cold tile floor. Immediately stretching his taut muscles, John's body emanated a lot of cracking sounds as he popped several bones in his back and neck, relishing the fact he could move again.

Peering under his gown, he looked at his own chest, which he found was perfectly intact, as if it hadn't been blown open with a shotgun. Placing his hand on it delicately, he confirmed that he was truly ok.

'Amazing' John thought to himself. Even to him, surviving something like that seemed impossible, but his body didn't let him down, for better or worse. He looked up, and found all four other mammals in the room were watching him. All of the officers were on edge, their hands on their side arms, just waiting for him to try and run.

On the other hand, the beaver was alternating his focus between him and a clipboard, observing John's actions and recording them down on a piece of paper.

"Hey, can you please not do that" John voiced to the beaver with a hint of annoyance. The beaver looked up with an innocent look as if to say "What's wrong?".

"It makes me feel like a test subject, and I hate that" John answered his unspoken question.

Although the beaver didn't understand what John was talking about judging by the perplexed look on his face, 'How could he possibly understand' thought John, the beaver respected John's wishes and just observed quietly, committing every one of John's actions to memory.

John noticed that all three of the officers were not really looking directly at him so much as they were looking at his hands.

'Ah, I see' John realized. They were watching his hands for his claws. Feeling cheeky and impulsive, he extended his claws while he was stretching some more, in a way to make the action seem reflexive and harmless, just to see their response. The reaction was immediate. All three officers took a step back and their grips on their side arms intensified.

The wolf even growled lowly as a warning. The beaver on the other hand, watched in fascination as John extended his bone claws to their full length. It actually felt good to extend them, the muscles in his forearms relaxing, similar to stretching.

"Amazing" the beaver muttered under his breath

John expected some kind of reaction, but that was ridiculous, especially with the wolf. The wolf's reaction in particular had John re-examining him. Looking at him carefully, he noticed that there was a large bandage wrapped around his arm, covering the fur. It was stained slightly red.

'Oh, I see' John remembered how the beaver told him how he had been thrashing in his sleep. Retracting his claws while he stopped stretching, John noticed how the three officers looked relieved while the beaver had a face full of disappointment, as if he wanted a closer look.

Paying special attention to the wolf, John asked directly "Did I do that?" as he pointed to the slightly stained bandage on the wolf's right arm. The wolf stiffened in response, before subconsciously rubbing the bandage.

"Yeah, you had some kind of panic attack and went crazy. Someone had to hold you down…"

"Hmm, my bad then" John rubbed the back of his head awkwardly. Feeling a cold breeze down his backside, he decided to change the subject. "You guys got any clothes, it's a little cold…"

The three officers looked at each other before the large buffalo nodded at the wolf, who promptly left the room.

"Now that it's come to this…" John suddenly spoke directly to the buffalo. "I hope you can help me with something…"

The buffalo raised an eyebrow in curiosity before grunting "Oh? And what would that be?"

John, sitting down on the bed and crossing his arms, said "I need your help to get back home. I have no idea where this place is, but I don't belong here. In fact, if everything I have been told and seen is true, this…world…is not the one I call home"

If John could see his own face, he would feel self-conscious at how confused and uncertain he looked. Vulnerable was not a word he would ever use to describe himself, yet that was how he appeared to the three mammals still present in the room.

John waited for a response. The two officers looked at each other and seemed to be silently communicating. The large buffalo then sighed and stepped forward, and John watched with a hopeful expression as he began to speak slowly.

"I honestly don't know what you are or what to believe after what you just told us or what we have seen. However, that is not what is important right now. Since you are now considered a witness to a major crime, we are going to need you to come with us and answer some questions. As for everything else, while there is a lot to discuss, we can put that on hold for now…" The buffalo took a breath before continuing.

"As for you getting home, if you cooperate with us, I can promise that we will do everything in our power to help you afterwards. Will you assist us?" The buffalo concluded in a professional manner.

"Wait a minute…major crime…you mean…OH MY GOD!" John's sudden outburst stunned the surrounding mammals. "What happened to those mammals trapped in the prison? Are they alright? What happened after I passed out?"

Holding up his hooves in a calming gesture, the large buffalo said "Calm down, they are all fine" A grimace crossed his features as he recalled the bloody mess he and several other police Chiefs had to deal with after they received a call from two bunnies who had claimed to have been kidnapped.

"You have been in a coma for a week, you missed a lot. There are indeed many things we have to clarify, both pertaining to the circumstances we found you in, and to your… _unique_ situation. That is why you _must_ come with us"

'A WEEK!?' John thought as he eyed the buffalo very carefully. He did not trust them, but he was willing to listen to what they had to say if it meant the possibility of getting home sooner. Aside from the worry he felt for the fellow prisoners he had been stuck with, he was filled with many complex emotions.

So far they had been honest and up front with him, even letting him out of the restraints, something John was genuinely surprised at.

'Maybe I should give them a chance' John thought to himself as he sat on the bed with his arms folded, staring at the two officers. Finally, after deliberating on it for a while, he spoke up.

"I will go with you, but one condition…"

The Buffalo frowned, but asked anyway. "What condition?"

"The…erm…mammal's that were in the prison with me, I want to see them" John asked earnestly.

"That can be arranged, in fact, some of those mammals are here right now recovering. But before anything else, you have to come with us" was Bogo's quick reply

Pleased that they had agreed to his one request, John quickly assented "All right then, I will go with you"

The tigress and buffalo looked at each other and sighed in relief. This would have been very awkward if he had refused. After all, it's not like they could just let him go after everything that had happened. He definitely was a witness to a big case, and they were honestly interested in what he might know, and to a lesser extent, what he was himself.

"By the way, what do I call you two?" John asked. "I really don't want to refer to you both as _the talking buffalo_ and _the talking tiger_ "

The buffalo responded, his professionalism returning. "You can call me Chief Bogo. You can refer to me as either Chief or Bogo, I do not care. This…" he gestured to the tigress next to him "Is Officer Fangmeyer. Our colleague who left to get you a pair of clothes is Officer Wolfard. Once he returns, you can change, and we will go as long as you're feeling fine"

"I am feeling fine; I can leave anytime" John responded without even thinking. Bogo shook his head, not really understanding how he should feel about that statement. He had seen the pictures, and it went beyond a simple miracle that only a week later, a wound like that was completely healed.

'What kind of mammal is this? Is he even a mammal?' Bogo couldn't help but ask in his mind.

Eventually, Wolfard returned carrying a pair of jeans and a black t-shirt, along with a pair of briefs. After handing John the clothes, the three officers and the doctor stepped outside to let John change in relative privacy. They were not afraid of him running away, as there was only one way out to begin with.

Changing quickly, John was only slightly perturbed that the wolf didn't bring shoes and socks with him. After he was done, he walked over to the mirror and examined his face. As he suspected, his hair had grown longer, and a small beard had already formed. However, he was most concerned with his eyes, and when he looked carefully, they were indeed back to normal, no longer blood red.

He still wondered what had happened down in that prison. Having never felt something like that before, he was curious if it could happen again; A sudden and huge boost in strength and the heightening of his senses. Although, when he thought about it, it was probably the reason he went into a coma, as he had never been unconscious for longer than a few minutes (not including sleep).

Grabbing a sharp blade, he began to carefully cut off the beard that he had grown, the hairs falling into the sink. Although he cut himself many times in the process since he wasn't using a razor, the cuts immediately healed and he continued to work.

Once he was done, he slapped his face in the mirror and admired his own handiwork.

'Clean shaven is best' he thought to himself as he smiled.

Dropping the blade back onto the counter, he finally walked out of the room. When he pushed through the doors, the four mammals waiting outside all looked at him with surprise. After shaving his beard, John looked much younger than before.

The wolf spoke what everyone was thinking: "So John…I heard that your name was John correct?"

John nodded in response. The wolf finished his question "How old are you?"

"…I'm twenty-four, why does that matter?" John asked with a frown.

"Doesn't…just curious" replied the wolf. The other three mammals present were inwardly shaken at how young he was. His exact age wasn't something they could determine via looks alone, especially since he was a one of a kind mammal; It was hard to tell.

Looking around around, the hallways reminded John of a standard hospital back home. Long white tiles hallways and walls with both patients and nurses moving around to and fro. The thick smell of sanitation burned John's nose, and he quietly followed the four mammals as they escorted him to the front.

As they walked by, different mammals of all shapes and sizes, young and old, large and small, were watching the group with unconcealed interest. Being with the police was already enough to arouse curious stares, but the fact that the strange mammal was with them definitely had an amplifying effect.

Even the staff all stopped and stared, moving around so they could get a better look at the new type of mammal amongst them. John lamented his current situation, electing to just stare straight ahead and follow the Chief. He had a feeling that as long as he was here, he would never be left alone.

'That's him'

'The one from the videos?'

'Yeah!'

'Did you see the one where he…'

'Dangerous…'

'…predator… _great_ '

'Why…no fur?'

'What is he…?'

'Finally awake…'

'…got to let them know…'

'…doesn't look very dangerous'

John heard a lot of different things as he followed behind the officers. He could see some taking out their phones and quickly snapping pictures while others were texting or calling others. John could tell it was only going to get worse.

As they proceeded to the front, John couldn't help think of something obvious he should have asked earlier. Speaking quietly enough so only the officers could hear him, which wasn't hard because the surrounding conversations were loud enough anyway, John asked "Hey, um, I forgot to ask before, but where exactly are we going?"

"To the station, where you will give your statement on what happened. It will be much quieter, and safer there, we promise" The large tigress known as Fangmeyer replied softly.

"Ok then…" John replied, having no further questions.

As they reached the front of the hospital, the buffalo gestured to the beaver over to a corner where they began to talk. Meanwhile, John and the other two officers planted themselves on the side, making John feel awkward as he stood next to the entrance, mammals walking in and out right past him.

John looked over at the two conversing mammals as their talked seemed to get a little heated. As time passed, John could see how the buffalo was antsy, clearly wanting to expedite the process and leave. However, the beaver kept arguing, and John was more than a little sure that they were talking about him, but he couldn't make out what they were saying due to the commotion around them.

After some kind of agreement was reached, the beaver handed Bogo his clipboard after signing it and the large buffalo headed back to John. Handing him the clipboard, Bogo said "Please sign this so we can leave"

John scanned the document, which appeared to be a release form for their records. Signing it quickly, he handed it back to Bogo, who then passed it back to the beaver.

"Let's go" the buffalo commanded with his gruff voice

As they exited the hospital under the attentive gazes of its occupants, John was utterly astonished at what he was seeing. Judging by the sun, it was sometime around noon, and the bright sun light was welcome as it bore down on his skin. It had been a while since he had seen sunlight, not including when he was taken to the ambulance.

All around, John marveled at the broad expanse of unorthodox architecture as he followed closely behind the buffalo. There was a mixture of large and small buildings, each with their own colorful designs and unique schemes. One building in particular had managed to catch his eye.

Further down the road, there was a brick building that looked strikingly similar to an apartment building. The only key difference was that this particular building had a zebra striped pattern, alternating black and white colored exterior paint for each floor.

'Call it a hunch, but I would guess that zebras live there…neat' John thought to himself, basically spinning in place as he looked around in awe. Everything was so unfamiliar and strange, but the clashing colors and architecture really gave John an artistic vibe to this so called city. It wasn't like anything he had ever seen back home.

Further down the road, he noticed how most other apartment buildings had their own special designs on the front, painted in the patterns resembling fur colorations. It was actually really cool, but John did not ask any questions or pause to admire the scenery as he followed the officers.

John could see mammals walking around going about their days like people would be doing. Some were jogging in fitness gear, some were wearing suits, walking and talking on their phones looking busy, and some were clearly shopping, heading into and out of various stores on either side of the street. There were even those who looked like they were taking their kids, cubs, kits…whatever they called them, on walks or wherever they were going.

For once, aside from the ones that directly saw him, most of the mammals walking around seemed to ignore their group. Their lives did not revolve around whatever John was a part of, and most kept their distance, electing to either stare from afar or go about their business peacefully, much to John's relief.

"You are lucky…" the wolf decided to comment as they walked.

"Oh yea, why is that?" John asked questioningly as he continued to look around.

"We got you out of there before the word spread that you were awake. Otherwise, things wouldn't be this quiet" he stated.

John felt his heart sink. "And why is that, dare I ask?…"

"Ha! It was impossible to keep it a secret that you were in Zootopia General. Everyone in Zootopia by now knows that you were being kept there. The public is really interested in finding out what you are…me included" he added with a wink. "I assume that you can figure out what is going to happen once the word spreads that you are up and about" He smiled back at John with his fangs.

"Oh great…something to look forward to" John replied with heavy sarcasm.

John knew deep down that he should probably be freaking out, seeing so much of… _this_.

'This is like the ending of that movie, _Planet of the Apes_ , where the dude manages to get back only to discover he is the only talking human in a world of sentient apes, only instead of apes, it's all kinds of different mammals' John mused.

At some point, John just came to accept it, as he couldn't ignore reality. Putting a dampener on his internal musings, the officers led him to a parking lot where he saw two police vehicles sitting on the curb, ready to go.

Hopping into the back seat of the buffalo's cruiser, they began driving while John stared out the window, leaning his head into the window, his expression listless. So much had been happening to him over the past half-year, so much that had been out of his control, that John felt like he was a wooden boat on a raging sea during a hurricane, being thrown about to and fro with no control and the high possibility of sinking.

After many years of learning to adapt to being…well… _himself_ , John felt that he had succeeded in living life like a regular normal person, at least before this all happened.

'Will things ever go back to normal?' He sighed quietly, asking no one in particular as he laid his head back against the seat and closed his eyes.

'Yea, well, when have things every been normal for us?' another voice retorted in his head.

The drive didn't last very long, the car stopping as John opened his eyes. After Bogo opened the door to let him out, John whistled as he stared at the enormous building in front of him. Large sandstone colored walls with large pillars spaced intermittingly held up a massive roof.

Over the entrance, John marveled at the unique design. Five pillars jutted out over a weather overhang and varying angles, making it seem almost like a crown over the entrance where the words "POLICE" hung. In his mind, he drew a loose comparison to the crown on the Statue of Liberty, only the pillars were not pointed.

*Slam*

"Welcome to HQ" he heard Wolfard say with a smug voice as he closed the door to his cruiser, enjoying John's surprise.

The loud slamming of car door behind him alerted John to the arrival of the other two officers.

"Yea, it's pretty impressive" John admitted.

"Damn right it is!" He confirmed with an arrogant tone, before being smacked on the head by the tigress who was right behind him.

"Damn it Fangmeyer! Stop doing that!" he whined pitifully.

John smirked. "That's cute" he said out loud, much to the embarrassment of the wolf.

"Let's go, stop fooling around" Bogo cut in curtly, and the three officers began escorting their "witness" to the building.

The four mammals walked through the double doors, which were large enough to allow even the biggest mammals to walk in with ease. As they entered, John took in the rather spacious surroundings and couldn't help but think 'Wow' at how clean and open everything looked. He figured how it probably was meant to look this way for first impressions.

The reactions of all the mammals present when John walked in were almost carbon copy of the mammals at the hospital, with one major exception: Most of these mammals were all in uniform. John couldn't help but think how he might have just screwed himself, figuratively throwing himself into the lion's den if they decided to act against him.

'Make that _literally_ ', he thought as he noticed a lion wearing a uniform watching him attentively.

Out of the corner of his eye, John saw a flash of red, and looked over to see a fox and a bunny watching him as they stood a little bit outside of what appeared to be their office. Memories resurfaced, and John recalled something Jacob had told him.

'That must be his sister, the only rabbit cop or something…what was her name again?'

When John couldn't remember the name, his train of thought switched to Jacob, and he wondered how the wanna-be Ranger was doing.

"Omph!" John coughed out as he accidentally bumped into what felt like a steel wall. The large buffalo had come to a stop in front of him. Focused on his thoughts, John didn't notice that he had stopped in front of a large desk, and therefore collided with the large brute of a mammal.

"Hiya Chief! What can I help you with today?" John heard a loud, high pitched, enthusiastic greeting from the other side of Bogo. Leaning to the left, John's jaw nearly hit the floor. It was a cheetah, or maybe the thing that at the cheetah, he wasn't too sure.

Looking like a swollen water balloon with fur, the cheetah was also wearing a blue uniform, and John couldn't help but think of how oxymoronic the image in front of him was. A fat cheetah. Even worse was it reminded John of the fat cop stereotype, which made him all the more speechless.

The cheetah, finally noticing John who was hidden behind Bogo, inhaled sharply, and squeaked out "Oh-em-goodness! Is that him? That new mammal they have been talking about?" while almost climbing over the desk to get a better look, pushing a box of cereal out of the way.

Yup, there was even an empty box of donuts sitting in plain sight on the counter, something that would normally be placed on the desk itself. Looking closer, John could see a donut stuck in his…

'You can't be serious. This has to be a joke…where are the cameras?' John deadpanned mentally as he looked upon the comically obese cheetah. By now, John had stepped around Bogo and was in full view.

"Well I'll be darned! You look exactly like in the videos!" The fat cheetah said as he reached out his paw.

"Benjamin Clawhauser, officer in charge of dispatch, pleased to meetcha!" he exuberantly proclaimed, his bubbly personality on full display. He seemed like someone who was very hard to hate, regardless of his habits.

John inwardly rolled his eyes as he took the meaty paw in his hand and shook it.

'Names John, pleased to meet you. What videos?" John replied patiently, not understanding what he meant.

The large cheetah's smile widened many more degrees, and John was worried he might pop if he became any more excited. John looked to the other officers, but they all looked calm and unperturbed by this display. Clearly, they were used to it.

"Ahhmph…" the Chief cleared his throat "Clawhauser, find Fangmeyer's and Wolfard's work schedule and get them back on it. I will be in my office with _him_ for a while. Unless it's an emergency, I don't want to be disturbed for the next hour"

"Sir yes sir! Leave it to me" the cheetah replied and set about loading something on the computer. Wolfard and Fangmeyer merely glanced at John before turning their attention to the cheetah. The chief turned and headed towards one of the offices on the side, and John proceeded to follow him.

Over his shoulder, John heard the wolf snickering, and he turned around.

John asked in confusion "What?"

"Alone with the Chief in _his_ office for an hour…" The wolf shook his head.

"There certainly are better ways to go. I will be sure to send flowers to your funeral" he spoke with false melancholy while donning a sad expression.

John just looked at him blankly, before glancing at the tigress who had heard what he said. Immediately, she bopped him on the head while he whined in protest.

"Thanks" John said to her, and she replied a "thumbs up" before John continued to follow the Chief. Entering his office, the large buffalo walked around his desk and sat down into the large chair. Not waiting for his cue, John pulled up a wooden chair as sat down in front of the desk, leaning back into it with his arms folded as he eyed the buffalo.

The buffalo quietly grabbed a pair of reading glasses, placing them on the table as he reached further into his desk and pulled out a manila folder, quite packed with papers.

Placing it onto the desk, he opened it and pulled out several documents, placing them haphazardly around the desk space. Looking up, Bogo made eye contact with John before he began to speak.

"There are a lot of things we need to discuss here, but I am a busy mammal, and time is never on my side, so here is what is going to happen: You are going to sit there, quietly, and not ask any questions while I tell you exactly what happened and what the ramifications these recent events have for you and those we rescued. Afterwards, you will tell me everything you know, and will answer any and all of my questions. Are we clear?" He spoke with authority.

John frowned, but consented with "Got it". Although he didn't appreciate the attitude, John really did want to know what happened, and the sooner he finished with this, the sooner he could solve his other issues.

Just as the buffalo was about to begin, a buzzing sound resounded throughout the room, the source being the phone on the Chief's desk. Bogo stared at his phone in shock, as if it had just committed treason, before a huge scowl formed on his face. Slamming a button, he growled lowly "Clawhauser, what…did…we…just…discuss" speaking each word slowly for emphasis.

"S-Sorry Chief, but I just had to let you know something"

"OH!? And what's that? He retorted.

"You are about to be interrupted" was the soft reply.

John swore he could see a vein bulge on the buffalo's head. If that was supposed to be a joke, John figured that would be the end of the fat cheetah as he knew him.

Fortunately for Clawhauser, his predication came true, as the door to the chief's office suddenly swung open. John turned his head around to see who the intruder was, and he almost choked on his own breath at what he saw.

Standing in the doorway was Jacob, only…he looked terrible! The plaid shirt he was wearing was torn in several places, stained with what John smelled to be coffee all over his pants and shirt. His brown fur was matted everywhere, and he was thinner than before with his ears drooping, something John had come to learn only happens when rabbits are sad or depressed.

There was mud all over his pants and feet, and his eyes were red. By John's best guess, he had just gone through a series of unfortunate accidents which put him in this state. Behind him followed the rabbit officer who was also followed by the fox, both wearing a concerned expression.

John made eye contact with Jacob who flinched, as if he couldn't believe what he was seeing. John, however, was feeling slightly different. His surprise turned into intrigue, which immediately turned into humor. John, to the surprise of everyone present, started chuckling. The chuckle turned into a giggle which evolved into full blown laughter.

As John continually glanced a couple more times at the disaster known as Jacob, his laughter grew louder, and he even wheezed a bit, finding that he could barely breath. None of the mammals who were present knew what to think, so they just watched in stunned silence as John lost control of himself.

Eventually, John calmed down enough to see that Jacob's ears were tinted red and he was clearly embarrassed from his expression. John had drawn a parallel from their first meeting, which is why he found it so funny. Feeling a lingering satisfaction that only laughter can bring, he pointed at Jacob with a smile and said "Hey man, it's been a while. You look like shit!" before he started laughing some more.

In an unknown location

"Sir, it took me some time to escape from the city, but I accomplished what you asked" reported the tigress as he stood in front of the desk of his employer.

"So I have heard…" The large figure behind the desk replied as he dropped the newspaper down onto the desk. The headline read _Lumber Mill Explosion! Several Injured_.

"Luna, you IDIOT!" The large figure screamed as he slammed his paws down onto the table, his claws shredding the paper.

'You had to go and get yourself killed and nearly drag down the rest of us in the process!?' The figure growled as he thought about how close it could have been.

'Luckily I was keeping tabs on her, otherwise…' The figures expression darkened as he glanced at the tiger who had been posing as one of Luna's bodyguards.

Pulling a cell phone out of his pocket, he dialed one of the saved numbers. After ringing for some time, the other end picked up.

"What is it Marius?" The voice spoke coldly.

"You know why I am calling you…" Marius growled into the phone.

"Yes, but you know, this…this will be difficult" The mammal on the other end replied carefully.

"I'll pay handsomely for your troubles" Marius stated

"…Fine" *click* The phone was hung up.

"Ugh" Marius sighed heavily while rubbing his temples.

"Sir, what are your orders?" The tiger who had been standing by spoke up.

"Oh yes, you…turn around" The Marius stated.

Slightly confused by the request, the tiger hesitated, before turning around…and finding himself staring down the barrel of a gun held by a lioness he didn't notice was there before.

"No loose ends" Marius commanded with an icy tone.

*BANG* The lioness fired her gun, and the body of the tiger fell limply to the floor, bleeding out of the hole in his head.

Marius nodded at the lioness who bowed before leaving the room.

Pressing a button on his desk phone, Marius spoke into it "Elizabeth, send up the janitor. Tell him to hurry before it stains the floor.

"Yes sir" was the reply.

Marius rubbed his eyes before standing up and walking to the window. Peering out, he wondered if _she_ would be able to pull it off.

"This will be tricky" he muttered to himself.

* * *

 **AN: Any typos or blatant grammatical mistakes, let me know (Thanks Chlaco!)**


End file.
